Okafor was born in Dallas, Texas. He attended Pflugerville High School in Pflugerville, Texas, and played for the Pflugerville Panthers high school football team. He also played soccer and basketball and was a stand out in both. Following his senior season, USA Today recognized him as a high school All-American in 2008.
Okafor was ranked as one of the middle tier pass rushers in the 2013 NFL Draft. He was projected as either a defensive end or linebacker in the NFL.
Arizona Cardinals
Okafor was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth round, with the 103rd overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. He played in his first game in 2013, recording a special teams tackle before a bicep injury ended his season. Okafor recorded his first two career sacks in Week 6 of 2014 against the Washington Redskins on quarterback Kirk Cousins. He had his first interception in Week 14 on Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback Alex Smith. He ended the season playing in 13 games with 12 starts, recording 30 tackles, 8 sacks, three passes defensed and one interception. During his time in Arizona, he played in 39 games, tallying 74 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 18 tackles for loss, four passes defended, one interception, one forced fumble and two fumble recovery.
On March 14, 2017, Okafor signed with the New Orleans Saints. He started the first 10 games of the season, recording a career-high 43 tackles, 4.5 sacks and four passes defended. He suffered a torn Achilles in the team's Week 11 win over the Redskins and was ruled out for the rest of the season. On March 16, 2018, Okafor re-signed with the Saints on a two-year contract. He started all 16 games in 2018, recording 36 tackles and four sacks. On February 14, 2019, the Saints voided the final year of Okafor's contract, making him a free agent at the start of the new league year.
Kansas City Chiefs
On March 14, 2019, Okafor signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. In week 7 against the Denver Broncos, Okafor sacked Joe Flacco twice in the 30-6 win. He played in 10 games before suffering a torn pec in Week 15. He was placed on injured reserve on December 16, 2019. He finished the season with 22 tackles and five sacks. During his absence, the Chiefs went on to win Super Bowl LIV, their first championship in 50 years.
Personal life
Okafor traveled to Kenya during the 2016 offseason with former Texas and Saints teammate Kenny Vaccaro and is involved in community and fundraising efforts to construct a school in the region.
Legal issues
On March 9, 2015, Okafor was arrested for evading arrest on foot and for a misdemeanor warrant for jaywalking in Austin, Texas. The Austin Police Department responded to a disturbance at 1:51AM in Austin's downtown entertainment district after he was running through an intersection and knocked over a pedestrian on the way to a bar. Police responded and after discovering the warrant, Okafor then ran on foot and was finally caught, taken down by three officers, and arrested.
