by Ian Massey
Emmanuel Acho casts a large shadow, yet he has often followed the path paved by his older brother, Sam.
A linebacker for the Texas Longhorns, listed at 6’2, 240 pounds, Emmanuel is more than 20 pounds lighter and 26 months younger than Sam, a rookie defensive lineman for the Arizona Cardinals. The Acho brothers have always had a competitive rivalry, so it’s fitting that after Sam was named as a finalist for the 2010 Lott IMPACT Trophy, Emmanuel could follow in his brother’s footsteps once again in 2011.
Two other Longhorns, Brian Orakpo (2008) and Derrick Johnson (2004) were also Lott IMPACT Trophy finalists and are currently playing linebacker in the NFL for the Washington Redskins and Kansas City Chiefs respectively.
A nine-time varsity letterman at St. Mark’s High School in football, track and field, and basketball, Emmanuel’s decision to attend the University of Texas wasn’t an easy one. For years he had been referred to as “Little Sam.” The elder of the Acho brothers was highly touted by the Longhorns in the 2007 recruiting class, but when Emmanuel’s decision followed in 2008, he nearly passed on the opportunity to create a formidable Acho brother alliance under the guidance of Mack Brown.
“At first I didn’t want to come [to Texas], because of my brother,” Emmanuel said. “I wanted to rebel and go away from where he went.”
After much discussion and prayer, the Achos decided that a family reunion at UT would be the perfect fit.
Three hours south of their hometown in Dallas, the Acho brothers lined up just feet away from each other in Austin for three seasons. If a running back managed to break through a hole in the line and past Sam, Emmanuel was the second line of defense. Sam wore 81 with “S. Acho” across his shoulder blades, while Emmanuel mirrored his brother, wearing No. 18, with “E. Acho” on his back.
“It doesn’t take long to see what great kids they are,” former Texas Defensive Coordinator Will Muschamp said of the Achos. “They have a great family, have been brought up right and are two very bright and respectful kids. You couldn’t ask for two better representatives of your program than Sam and Emmanuel.”
Sam was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in April, another milestone that likely stirred up motivation for Emmanuel.
In his first three seasons at Texas, Emmanuel has racked up 147 tackles, 93 solo and 22 for a loss; he’s recorded five sacks, forced six fumbles, recovered three fumbles and intercepted two passes. Last season, Emmanuel was part of a Texas defense that was ranked sixth in the country in total defense (300.2 ypg) and pass defense (161.6 ypg).
"[Emmanuel] runs extremely well, he plays well in space, he's an explosive player and he's got natural playmaking ability," Muschamp said.
Whether Emmanuel leads the Longhorns to a bowl game and becomes a Pro Bowl linebacker in the NFL remains to be seen, but one thing that’s for certain is that he’s an outstanding young man.
Beyond the two-a-days, the film study and an education he’s receiving in sports management, Emmanuel has been instrumental to his community. The senior is a five-time member of the UT’s Athletic Directors’ Honor Roll, a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection and a two-time Arthur Ashe Award recipient, but his dedication to service stands out on his résumé more than his impressive grade point average.
Emmanuel means “God with us,” his middle name Cinedum translates to “God is my leader.” The son of Dr. Sonny Acho, a pastor born and raised in Nigeria, Emmanuel annually takes mission trips to his father’s homeland to help save lives and better the living standards of those in Isuikwuato – a region of approximately 50,000 people in southeastern Nigeria.
Every summer, Emmanuel, Sam, their father and a team of about 40 doctors, nurses and missionaries journey to Nigeria as part of Dr. Acho’s Living Hope Ministries, which he created two decades ago to bring medical and spiritual hope to Isuikwuato.
The group delivers clothing, performs surgeries, administers medication and preaches to thousands of impoverished people. While Emmanuel is not a licensed physician, his role is crucial to his father’s mission.
“We are kind of utility people so to speak,” Emmanuel said of his work. “We’ll help with the kids. We’ll help with the optometry. We [carry] a lot of people from the post operation room. It’s not like here in the states; it’s about a 400-meter walk with just a numb, limp body. We also do crowd control because when you have 7,000 needy people trying to get in one door it gets pretty hectic. If the line is not organized then the people inside can’t function.”
In 2009, Emmanuel recalls the team removing 84 hernias, while also installing a vision station for the first time to remove cataracts for impaired patients.
“People would come in 90 percent blind and leave with their vision,” Emmanuel said. “[We have also added] a dentist. Every year we’re trying to add a new thing and we’re changing it up […] We’re seeing people grow […] We’ve made a lot of progress and we’re really excited about it.”
Along with his missionary work, Emmanuel routinely visits patients at the Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas and he has also served as a counselor at basketball camps.
“The fact that I haven’t been in trouble, that I have had the opportunity to be above the drama and worries of life that some people have to go through, it [has] made me different,” Emmanuel said as a testimony to his faith.
Last season, Texas finished 5-7, last place in the Big 12 South and snapped a string of nine consecutive double-digit victory seasons.
Acho leads a 2011 linebacking corps that is crucial to the team’s hopes of rebounding. Sam’s departure has left Emmanuel without a sibling rivalry on the field; Little Sam has turned to fellow senior linebacker Keenan Robinson this year for motivation and he has been nothing short of a workout warrior.
“He’s faster,” Robinson said of Emmanuel at the Big 12 media day. “[But] he’s still not faster than me.”
Emmanuel replied, “We’ll see at the combine.”
First year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz knows his defense will rely on Acho and Robinson.
“They have to be playmakers,” Diaz said. “They have to be great for us to be great.”
Emmanuel has shrugged off his Little Sam nickname and is now crucial to the Texas Longhorns’ locker room, to his father’s missionary work and to a family filled with faith. No longer standing in a shadow, it’s Emmanuel’s time to shine.