Okon selects Salukis

Joe Okon knows the way to Carbondale.

His brother Jon graduated from Southern Illinois four years ago. His sisters Samantha and Lauren are a senior and sophomore respectively there.

Joe Okon, a Daily Herald All-Area linebacker, made a verbal commitment to the Salukis on Tuesday. He chose them over Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois and Navy and will sign his letter of intent Wednesday.

It wasn't easy maintaining the Saluki family ties.

"They were all real close," Okon said of his college choices. "It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made in my life."

SIU recruited the 6-foot-2, 213-pound Okon as an inside linebacker, where he played this fall and had 97 tackles, 5 sacks and 2 interceptions en route to Mid-Suburban East co-defensive player of the year honors.

Eastern and Western wanted Okon to play defensive end. He considered going to Navy "an honor" but wasn't ready for the nine-year military commitment.

Okon had talked with SIU, which made the Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA) semifinals, before head coach Jerry Kill left for the job at Northern Illinois.

After Dale Lennon was hired as head coach, Okon's dad called and his sister Samantha brought a game tape to the recruiting office.

"They called back and said they wanted to get me down there," Joe Okon said.

Okon expects to redshirt as a freshman. He has a 4.2 grade point average on a 5.0 scale and scored 23 on the ACT and is undecided about his major.

"It's a very successful program," Okon said. "They plan to win a national championship and they have a great coaching staff to do that.

"Eastern, Western and Navy are all great teams, too, and it made it that much harder of a decision."