Notre Dame DE Ovie Oghoufo Grateful for Big Brother

New Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Khalid Kareem has made a name for himself, but Notre Dame defensive end Ovie Oghoufo has never been far behind. 

The two starred at Harrison High School (Mich.) before ending up in South Bend playing for the Irish. 

Oghoufo will enter his third season with the Notre Dame program in 2020, but he's never felt in the shadow of Kareem.

"I think we're in our own worlds," Oghoufo said. "He has his strengths and weaknesses. Same with me. Iron sharpens iron at the end of the day." 

It's not a surprise the two have formed a bond that goes much deeper than a friendship. 

"That's my brother," stated Oghoufo. "He's made this process so much easier and has been someone I can talk to off the field."

The transition to college football isn't always smooth and Oghoufo found himself moving positions after his freshman year. 

It was Kareem who made sure to spend extra time with him to catch him up to speed, which is one of the many reasons he was named captain in 2019.

"When I moved positions to the defensive line, Khalid made it so much easier," explained Oghoufo. "We met alone and he explained things to me. He helped me work on my moves and my craft. It's been helpful." 

Oghoufo will find himself in familiar shoes as he looks to shine on the defensive line now that Kareem has moved on. 

"When he left, I knew I was going to miss him," Oghoufo said. "I know whatever team is going to draft him, it's going to be worth the pick." 

The two will still be in contact, but Oghoufo will look to carry out a piece of advice from Kareem on a daily basis. 

"He told me to keep working and always have fun with it," said Oghoufo. "He told me if I'm not having fun, then I might as well stop doing it."