All Business: Okorafor, Banner Not Letting Competition Effect Friendship
Competition among friends is one of few commonalities between professional athletes and the rest of the world. For us, small folk, activities such as cards, video games, or pick-up sports are as close as we'll get to competing for something greater with friends.
For Chukwuma Okorafor and Zach Banner, their friendship now coincides with battling for the starting right tackle position for one of the NFL's most historically successful franchises: The Pittsburgh Steelers.
In an interview with AllSteelers in June, Banner spoke on competing against Okorafor despite being friends on and off the field.
"[Okorafor] is a very good friend of mine and same for him, vice-versa," Banner said. "It's one of those things where we help motivate each other by pushing each other. So whoever wins it, wins it. But at the end of the day we're brothers."
During a call with reporters on Monday, Okorafor confirmed their relationship hasn't changed through the early trials of training camp.
"No, it's not," said Okorafor when asked if it was a difficult situation battling with Banner. "At the end of the day, we all have to come in here every day, if we're best friends or if we're whoever, we kinda have the same mindsets, so nothing's changed really."
Okorafor said he's focused on improving his hand placement over the offseason. He's taken tips from watching Matt Feiler the last two seasons in preparation for the battle with Banner.
"Every day, it doesn't matter if I'm with the ones or twos, it doesn't really matter," Okorafor said. "I go in there every day ... I just keep on doing my best."
The Steelers will kick off their season on Sept. 14 against the New York Giants. Offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett said the competition could go right down to game week, leaving Okorafor and Banner competitors and teammates for three more weeks.
"Everything's kind of all-business," Okorafor said. "You kinda have to go in every day. Whether it's me and Zach watching film or the whole team watching film, nothing's changed really."
Donnie Druin is a Staff Writer with AllSteelers. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
