Daniel Obioha has a difficult decision to make this weekend.
Does he support the school he loves and fights for as a member of the LSU track and field team, or does the brotherly bond he shares with Texas A&M freshman defensive tackle Julien Obioha hold stronger?
“I’m not answering that question,” Daniel said with a smile. “Obviously this is the school that I chose to come to. … I came here for a reason, and I do like LSU, but blood runs thicker than anything. You can try to deduce an answer from that, but I do love my Tigers.”
Daniel enters his final year throwing the discus for the Tigers after finishing No. 10 in the Southeastern Conference finals in May.
But despite wherever his loyalties may lie, Daniel said he’s his brother’s biggest supporter.
“If I miss a game, I always go back and watch it. … I know his plays,” Daniel said. “I follow him on YouTube… You don’t understand; I am his biggest fan.”
Two of six siblings born to African-immigrant parents, Daniel and his brother know what it means to fight and struggle from their upbringing, Daniel said.
“We did come from a really tough beginning,” he said. “We weren’t exactly the most wealthy people. We moved around a lot when we were younger. … When you see that, it makes you hungry.”
The Obioha brothers began their athletic pursuits while attending Brother Martin High School in New Orleans where Julien originally followed in his brother’s footsteps to the tight end position.
“It was pretty nasty,” Daniel said. “… When you’re going against family, when you’re going against blood, it transcends anything you can imagine. The guy underneath me, yeah that was competition. … But with my little brother, the competition was a little bit steeper, a little more fired up.”
After Daniel graduated, Julien moved to the defensive line where he eventually settled at the strong side defensive end as a sophomore.
But LSU almost gained its second Obioha Tiger before Julien ultimately decided to don an Aggie uniform — a decision his father Pius Obioha said was for academic reasons.
Both Daniel and Pius said Julien’s decision was his to make, and the family did little to interfere.
“I was not involved at all,” Daniel said. “… It was always me telling him you need to what you need to do to make you happy. … I always wanted to be clear, don’t come and try to get my insight. You need to do this by yourself.”
Daniel said he hasn’t decided what he’s going to wear for the game Saturday, when his brother will match up against LSU senior left tackle Josh Dworaczyk and the rest of the battle-worn offensive line.
He did suggest he may wear his LSU-Texas A&M dual track meet shirt to remain neutral between his Tigers and his brother.
Due to Texas A&M media policy, Julien Obioha was not made available for comment.
