Christian Okoye Christian Emeka Okoye ( ; born August 16 , 1961 ) , is a Nigerian - American former American football running back for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1992 . Nicknamed " The Nigerian Nightmare , " Okoye was known for his powerful running style and ability to break tackles . Okoye ' s six seasons in the NFL saw a league rushing title in 1989 , two Pro Bowl appearances ( 1989 , 1991 ) , and three playoff appearances . He voluntarily ended his NFL career due to multiple injuries . He wore number 35 . College career . A member of the Igbo ethnic group , Okoye was born in Enugu , Nigeria and did not play American football until 1984 , when he joined the squad at California ' s Azusa Pacific University . He excelled in track & field , winning seven college titles in the shotput , discus , and hammer throw . The first time he attended an American football game he thought the game was boring . After the Nigerian government failed to select Okoye for the Olympics , he sought something else to do besides track & field and went out for American football . Initially , Okoye did not enjoy the roughness of football and thought about quitting but friends convinced him to continue playing . His track speed ( 40 - yard dash in 4 . 40 seconds and about 10 . 50 seconds in the 100 meters ) was unusual for someone his size ( 6 ' 1 " and 260 lb ) , and this rare combination of talents led to his selection in the second round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs . NFL career . In his rookie year , Okoye rushed for 660 yards on 157 carries ; and though a thumb injury limited him to nine games , he managed to gain 473 yards the following season . In 1989 , Okoye enjoyed his best NFL season by far , leading the league in both rushing attempts ( 370 ) and rushing yards ( 1 , 480 ) . Though the Chiefs missed the playoffs , Okoye was selected by UPI as the American Football Conference ' s Offensive Player of the Year and earned a trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl . The remainder of Okoye ' s career was marked by a nagging knee injury , one which limited him to 805 yards and a 3 . 3 yard average per carry in 1990 . Though his 1991 performance ( 1 , 031 yards , 4 . 6 yards per carry ) earned him his second Pro Bowl appearance , Okoye ' s carries in 1992 were largely limited to goal - line situations . Okoye has stated that he ended his NFL career because he became tired of practice , and that he considered football to be a job . Okoye retired as the Chiefs ' all - time rushing leader , having amassed 4 , 897 yards , 1 , 246 attempts , and 14 games with at least 100 yards rushing , in his six seasons . Those team records have since been surpassed by Priest Holmes . His 40 career rushing touchdowns as a member of the Chiefs trail only Holmes and Marcus Allen . His Chiefs records for carries in a game and rushing attempts in a season were surpassed by Larry Johnson . Okoye was the team MVP in 1989 , and was enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2000 . Among videogamers , Okoye is well known for his performances in " Tecmo Super Bowl " ( 1991 ) , in which he ' s nearly impossible to tackle . Statistics . " Note : G = Games played ; Att = Rushing attempts ; Yds = Rushing yards ; Avg = Average yards per carry ; Long = Longest rush ; Rush TD = Rushing touchdowns ; Rec = Receptions ; Yds = Receiving yards ; Avg = Average yards per reception ; Long = Longest reception ; Rec TD = Receiving touchdowns " Post - NFL career . Okoye is currently an investor in the Golden Baseball League and owns Okoye Health and Fitness , a company that sells nutritional supplements . He made an appearance as a boxer on the FX Network ' s " Celebrity Boxing " special . He also founded the California Sports Hall of Fame of which he is president . He appeared on the CBS reality show " Pirate Master " and was voted off by his shipmates on the second episode for his slow speed in the Expedition . He went home with no gold from Expeditions . Okoye appeared on Pros vs Joes in its third season . The Christian Okoye Foundation offers young men and women the opportunity to develop and refine the essential skills in their respective areas of interests . One event , which was started in 2012 , is the Ontario Mills 5K and 10K race . The proceeds of the race benefit local after school athletic programs in the inland empire .