Kenny Onatolu was one of two former Nebraska-Omaha football players who made his debut in the National Football League this past season. The former Maverick linebacker was signed as a free agent by the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 29, 2008. Onatolu was used primarily on coverage units on a vastly improved Vikings special teams this past season where he recorded 17 tackles. He spent two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL before making the jump to the NFL. Onatolu, who was UNO's 2006 Defensive MVP, recovered a Reggie Bush punt return fumble in the second quarter of the NFC Championship against the New Orleans Saints. OMavs.com had an opportunity to sit down the Minnesota linebacker during his return to Omaha this offseason.
OMavs.com: You're back in Omaha and on the UNO campus after your first season in the NFL. What's it like to see some familiar faces around town and on campus – like your identical twin brother Taiwo, who is an outside linebackers coach on the Mavericks' staff?
KO: It's just fun to get a way from football for a while – rest the body and see some familiar faces. My brother came over when I first got into town and we just chilled – talked a little football and what's going on with him, and what's going on with me. It's just a good break away from football, away from the long season. It's a very long season and just getting away from that is fun.
OMavs.com: Did you keep tabs on the Mavericks this fall?
KO: I'm getting older, so I think I know one more class of players. But I still keep tabs on the guys that I know and my brother fills me in on some of the news guys that they've got. But I always keep track of how they're doing. Once a Mav, always a Mav.
OMavs.com: Any thoughts on the 2010 recruiting class?
KO: From what I've heard it's a great recruiting class. There was some true freshman that played last season. I don't remember too many true freshman getting a lot of significant playing time. So that says a lot about the coaches getting great players that are able to step in and play like that.
OMavs.com: You played with former Maverick quarterback Zach Miller who is with the Jacksonville Jaguars playing tight end. Do you guys keep in touch?
KO: Oh yeah, we were real close back then and since the offseason I've talked to him every day. During the season, I'd try and watch him if I could if we weren't playing. But we are real good friends.
OMavs.com: Does it make it any more fulfilling knowing you've made it to the NFL after playing at a Division II school like UNO, rather than a Division I program like Nebraska-Lincoln?
KO: It's definitely a longer road because you can play one season in Division I and have a decent year at that level than for instance a guy like me, my brother or Chris Denney where you dominate for four years, and you don't even really get a look. It's kind of based on luck – right place, right time, right draft class. Hopefully, there's not too many people at your position so you get a shot. But it's just hard. It makes it worth it – you know where you came from, you had to put in extra work and fight harder. It's just a lot more refreshing.
OMavs.com: Anyone that follows the game closely knows that there's really no offseason in the NFL. But now that you've got a few weeks before your focus goes back to football, what have you been up to?
KO: When I got back, I just laid on the couch depressed for a little bit. Trying to get over the tough loss for about a week or so. But I've just been relaxing, haven't touched a weight. Just letting my body heal. I'll take about a month off, and then I'll be right back to working out when March comes around. I'll probably take a little vacation here coming up. I haven't got a lot of sun so I'll probably go south. Maybe to Mexico or something.
OMavs.com: Not to bring back that heartbreaking loss to the Saints in the NFC Championship game, but were you able to watch the Super Bowl?
KO: I said I wasn't going to watch it because I was hurting real bad. Like I tell everybody, I would have rather just gotten blown out by the Saints. Then you can tell yourself they are just better than us and we couldn't do anything. But everyone watching that game knew that we blew a lot of opportunities and that just makes it hurt that much more. It's a dream for everyone to play in the Super Bowl and we have guys that are 12 or 13 year vets that haven't even come close to the Super Bowl, so being that close is what hurts.
OMavs.com: You showed that you can play very well on special teams. What do you have to do to battle for some playing time on defense next season?
KO: I've always been one of the hardest workers as far as offseason training and studying film. The thing with the Vikings that I knew going in was that their linebacking corps was solid. They are one of the few teams that they just don't rotate unless someone goes down. My guy (Chad) Greenway who was a first-round pick is real good player, and the other guys have been solid starters for a few years. I'm just going to keep my head up and I just want to be ready when my name is called. In football you never know with injuries and stuff. You don't want to be caught not being ready when you do get an opportunity.
OMavs.com: What's going through your head as you fly down the field on a punt or a kick off?
KO: The first game of the season I had a few tackles against the Cleveland Browns on kickoffs. I was pumped up and I was going crazy. I had tunnel vision. I was just running down trying to blow somebody up. But I think it was about the fourth game, the Green Bay game, and I kept doing the same thing with tunnel vision until some guy on Green Bay who I didn't even see coming just blasted me. So that opened my eyes. I got up and my head was spinning and just hurting. So now what I think about on kickoffs is when I'm running down the field, I'm running fast and not slowing down. My awareness is very high because guys are just coming down to clean your clock from left to right. I said I'd never let that happen again, and I haven't since then. I learned my lesson.
OMavs.com: You're surrounded by some very talented fellow linebackers in Minnesota with E.J. Henderson, Chad Greenway, Ben Leber, Jasper Brinkley and Heath Farewell. Just how much did you benefit from being around those guys as a rookie linebacker?
KO: Everyone is after a job, but they were willing to help me from the start. There was no animosity or anything like that. Right when I got in there they were cool and helped me learn the play book. Especially watching Chad on film, watching E.J., you're like, "Okay, that's how they do it." So I should do it like that, but add my own twist to it.
OMavs.com: Brett Favre was a rookie on the Atlanta Falcons in 1991, at about the same time you were 9 years old. What was it like playing on the same team with him -- someone you grew up watching on TV?
KO: I remember the first day he got there, we were sitting in the lunch room eating and you see every channel on the news - you'd think the president was coming. He lands on his own plane. It was like O.J. only it was a black Escalade going down the highway with police escorts clearing traffic for him. And the very first day he got there he practiced and it was like he'd been there for years because he called all the plays and new all the offense. I never really knew the difference between an average quarterback and a great quarterback until I saw it in person. Just the way his arm strength was compared to other guys who are twice as young as him. It was unbelievable. But you get used to it because you start seeing him every day and he's a very humble guy. The first day I saw him though, I was in awe too just like everyone else - he's really here, he's on our team.
OMavs.com: Do you think he will return next season?
KO: I really think he will. We were one of the best teams in the league and we have a great opportunity if he comes back.
OMavs.com: You earned your bachelor's degree in communications here at UNO and would like to get behind the camera for a career in broadcasting once your time on the football field comes to an end. What do you see yourself doing?
KO: I don't know if it will be radio. A dream job would be something on ESPN, but that's so competitive. I've just always wanted to do something with TV or radio because I love talking about sports and playing sports. That's just what would come natural to me and I would enjoy doing. I wouldn't consider it as work.
OMavs.com: So have you been contacted by (Cincinnati Bengals WR) Chad Ochocinco about joining his Twitter-based news network, Ochocinco News Network? He has a few other current NFL players on his staff.
KO: (Laughing) I'd definitely be up for it. I've got to make my name a little more known, but he's an interesting guy and he knows how to get his name out there. He's using football to his advantage so I think that's a good thing, as long as it's done in a positive way.
OMavs.com: Just one more question for you, Kenny. The 2010 Winter Olympics have been underway for the last couple of weeks in Vancouver. Have you be tuning into any of the action?
KO: I'm more of a Summer Olympics guy – you know, track and field, and all that kind of stuff. (Laugh out loud) – I watched a little figure skating one day, but I haven't really tuned into it. But that Shaun White guy, I hear he is doing his thing so when I hear names like that I pay attention to it a little bit more.
OMavs.com: All right Kenny, enjoy the rest of your offseason and best of luck to you next season. Thanks for your time.
KO: No problem.
