Brian Asamoah wants to be a Hall of Famer. It’s a dream of his to don the golden jacket and receive the award in Canton, just two hours from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. It’s a lofty aspiration, especially with the 2022 NFL Draft still a couple of months away. Of the near 30,000 players to ever suit up in the NFL, only around 300 have achieved that honor. There’s just one Hall of Famer for every 100 players. But there’s only one Brian Asamoah.
An introduction to Brian Asamoah
Upon entering the video call, Oklahoma’s Asamoah gives an energetic greeting. His voice is full, with a distinct, staccato rhythm and a directness that seems to mirror his focus. The truth is, Asamoah’s focus has never wavered — not after earning All-Big 12 honors or after winning National Team Linebacker of the Week at the Senior Bowl.
Asamoah is light and amiable, but he also has a constant edge — a drive that carries with every word. He hasn’t so much been on a mission to prove himself to others. Rather, he’s been on a mission to prove to himself that there’s nothing he can’t do. 2021 was the pinnacle for Asamoah — his best work yet. He knows that people are taking notice.
“Now you see what type of guy Brian Asamoah is and the things he can do.”
As rewarding as 2021 was, however, it’s not the end goal. To reach that peak, it’s important for Asamoah to look back on the journey that’s gotten him to this point. It started well before high school when Asamoah first found his love and passion for the game.
Finding football and leaning on family
Asamoah started playing football at an early age. Having three older brothers helped fan his competitive mindset, and he very quickly grew involved in the sport. Yet, it wasn’t until he took a year off that he truly realized how much football meant to him.
“[It started] at the age of 10,” Asamoah explained. “I was sent to a different country, didn’t play football for a year, came back to the United States. That’s the moment in time where I was like, ‘I don’t take this game for granted.'”
As he grew and became a young man, Asamoah relied on his family to show him the way forward. His parents, originally from Accra, Ghana, set a high standard for him, and his brothers set down a path for him to follow.
“My mom and dad challenged me to be the best individual I could be. But also, I have three older brothers. They all helped me become the man I am today. They challenge me almost every day of my life. All I have to do is trust them. You know, they lived my age before.
“They’ve been 21 years old. So all I have to do is understand where they’re coming from. They’re always just trying to help me. I appreciate not only my parents but also my brothers that have molded me into the man I am today.”
Choosing the Oklahoma Sooners
Asamoah kept growing and eventually became an impact player at St. Francis De Sales High School as a 210-pound outside linebacker. He was a highly regarded three-star recruit in the 2018 class and a top-25 prospect in Ohio.
Playing at St. Francis, Asamoah grew up just 17 minutes from Ohio State’s football stadium. But the Buckeyes, then coached by Urban Meyer, didn’t show any interest in the local standout. Still, Asamoah kept his head up and kept looking. He wasn’t afraid to go out of state to find the right fit. And soon enough, the Sooners came calling.
“[In Oklahoma], I found a school that believed in me. [LB coach] Tim Kish and [defensive coordinator] Mike Stoops at the time — guys that are originally from Youngstown, Ohio. With their knowledge of where I was from, I felt that automatic blanket. They respected me as an individual and knew what I could come and do for their program. After visit three, man, I knew I was going to Oklahoma.”
A career-altering transition at Oklahoma
The Sooners took a chance on Asamoah, and it would take time for him to deliver on his promise. He redshirted in 2018, partly due to his weight. But beyond the need for physical development, Asamoah had begun the transition from outside linebacker to inside linebacker. In high school, he simply rushed the flats and set the edge. Inside linebacker was a different ball game.
“When I was coming into college, I had to automatically learn a whole new position. I wouldn’t say that was tough, but it was just a new approach for me. It was a new system, a new way of learning defense, a new position. But I took it as an opportunity to get better.”
Asamoah is confident, knowing he’s emerged on the other side as a valuable playmaker. But he acknowledged the uncertainty he felt at the time. It’s something every young player goes through.
“It is tough. As a freshman, you come from being the guy at high school and having that praise and galore. But when you get to college, a lot of kids are humbled because not everybody’s ready to play their freshman year. I was blessed to not play my freshman year because it helped me, gave me that drive and motivation, but also gave me a chance to get better and pick up things that I didn’t necessarily have in the beginning.”
Much like his year off from football at 10 years old, Asamoah’s redshirt season only strengthened his drive off the field. He hated the feeling of not playing. And he never wanted to experience that feeling again.
Developing as an inside linebacker
Asamoah got his feet wet as a redshirt freshman and made the most of his opportunities. That success led to him taking on a starting role in 2020. He was in the starting lineup for nine games and put up 66 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, an interception, 4 pass deflections, and a forced fumble.
Asamoah’s quick progression is made even more impressive when you realize that 2020 was just his third season at inside linebacker and only his second seeing playing time at the position. There’s a great deal of responsibility that comes with playing inside linebacker. But for Asamoah, simply being willing to learn helped catalyze his growth.
“Coming to the inside linebacker, you’ve got to communicate a lot of things to the D-line, getting a lot of guys lined up as well. And now you have to take the responsibilities within the box. So now you have to understand pullers, you have to understand blocking schemes, and you have to understand run schemes as well. The adjustment was new.
“I embraced the learning curve. And after that, it became second nature — seeing pullers, understanding zone-run schemes and gap schemes. Understanding pass protections.”
Reaching the mountaintop in 2021
2021 was Asamoah’s second year as a full-time starter at inside linebacker. With more experience under his belt, as well as top talents like Perrion Winfrey and Isaiah Thomas ahead of him, Asamoah flourished. The Ohio native amassed 90 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, a sack, and 2 forced fumbles in 12 games. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors for his play and was also a Butkus Award semifinalist.
Watching back his 2021 season, you can see the growth from Asamoah — even within the most recent 12-game slate. Asamoah has been on a constant upward trend since switching to inside linebacker, and he says 2021 was his most comfortable season yet.
“This year was the year that I kind of knew how teams would attack us defensively — if we’re in a Cover 3 defense, where they want to attack. Do they want to attack the linebacker to the boundary? Do they want to attack the free safety? What matchups are they trying to create? Because football is really about matchups now.
“You turn to a certain coverage, and you understand what you can get out of that certain coverage. This year was the year that I understood all those things.”
For Asamoah, simply knowing the game and position is key
There’s no secret formula to development. For Asamoah, it was all about hard work and, more importantly, learning the position he played. In the past, Asamoah was still learning on the fly. But now, with more experience and study, he’s been able to maximize his opportunities. It all boils down to confidence and clarity.
“The game has slowed down more because I know my job. I don’t have to think anymore. Now I have to just react. But now I also understand what’s going on on the field and how teams want to attack us. So if they’re in a 3-by-1 set, I can get three things. I can get zone, I can get RPO, I can get a pass. Just understanding all the things you can get. That just helps me play extremely fast.”
Along the way, Asamoah also learned how to better deal with misdirections and maintain a better mix of patience and aggression. He mentions reading offensive lineman sets to dissect RPOs and play-action but emphasizes the need for discipline at the second level.
“Be disciplined. If you believe it’s the run scheme, attack it. If you see play-action, get depth and go get your man.”
Asamoah appreciated the recognition from this past season, but he’s not resting on his laurels. The Oklahoma star knows he has things to keep improving on. And he knows he can never lose sight of that.