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Orimolade has plenty to prove

All-America linebacker Folarin Orimolade will represent Dartmouth College in the National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) Collegiate Bowl on Saturday at California State University Dominguez Hills. The all-star game will be broadcast by Fox Sports on FS1 with kickoff set for 4 p.m.

Orimolade, the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, has been named to numerous All-America teams, including the Associated Press, STATS and Athlon. A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defender in the FCS, the 6-0, 235-pound senior from Burtonsville, Md., made his presence felt on the field every game of his senior season, leading the Big Green with 83 tackles, 14.5 for a loss with nine sacks, and five forced fumbles. He was among the nation’s leaders on a per game basis in each of those categories, topping the FCS with 0.5 forced fumbles per game and ranking ninth with 0.9 sacks per game, both of which led the Ivy League. His 1.45 tackles for a loss per game also put him second in the conference and 23rd nationally.

Orimolade was twice chosen as the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week during the 2016 campaign. Those two weekly honors followed victories over Holy Cross and Cornell as Orimolade registered two sacks in both contests. On three occasions, he posted double-digit tackles, including a career-high 13 in the season finale at Princeton. A first-team All-Ivy League selection each of the past two seasons, Orimolade finished his Big Green career with 143 tackles, 35 tackles for a combined loss of 207 yards, 23.5 sacks (second all-time at Dartmouth) for 173 yards, 10 forced fumbles and eight passes broken up.

The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl is the premier postseason all-star game for draft-eligible college players. The week-long schedule provides participants with a first-class professional experience while introducing them to the business of the National Football League. Founded in 2012, the annual game gives prospective NFL players the opportunity to showcase their talents to potential employers and fans. Scouts from every NFL club and other professional leagues attend the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl’s practices and game.

Orimolade is one of seven linebackers listed on the National Team roster, coached by former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz. Among his teammates will be more than 40 players from FBS schools such as national champion Clemson, Ohio State, LSU and UCLA, as well as the only other Ivy Leaguer that will participate in the game, Cornell punter Chris Fraser.

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