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CHARLOTTE — The Panthers have bookended the offseason by infusing the linebacker corps with depth and leadership. In the spring, it was Devin Lloyd. Now, as rosters begin to be assembled for the regular season, Carolina has agreed to terms with veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke, according to multiple reports Saturday. After four years with the Indianapolis Colts and three years with the New York Giants, Okereke will join a unit that featured one of the closest position battles all training camp, as Trevin Wallace and Claudin Cherelus fought to start next to Lloyd. Now, Okereke will bring his years of experience to Charlotte. Get to know the linebacker with these fast five facts, and we'll start with an honorable mention: his last name, which is Nigerian, is pronounced oh-ker-uh-KAY. Tackling machine the last 5 years Okereke has been a tackling machine with both the Colts and the Giants. Four of the last five seasons, he's accumulated 130-plus tackles, and three of the last four years, he's been in the Top 10 of the entire league in total tackles. In 2023, he didn't miss a single snap for the Giants. His best season came in 2022, with the Colts, during which he racked up 151 total tackles with six for loss. He followed that up with the Giants the following season with 149 total tackles, 11 for loss, and six quarterback hits. That season was also a career year for him in passes defensed (10), interceptions (two), and forced fumbles (four). He missed five games in 2024 with a back injury, but surpassed the 130-tackle mark again in 2025. He finished with 143 total tackles, two for loss, a quarterback hit, six passes defensed, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. California native Okereke grew up in Santa Ana, Ca., where his family — he, his parents, and three sisters — lived after his parents emigrated from Nigeria. The linebacker stayed on the West Coast for college and attended Stanford. The Colts drafted him out of Stanford in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. Eagle Scout who continues to give back In 2013, Okereke was named an Eagle Scout, in addition to playing football, maintaining a 4.5 GPA, and singing in the Madrigals, Foothill's elite choir. As an Eagle Scout, he was also a member of the Order of the Arrow – scouting's honor society. The linebacker continues to build on his Eagle Scout background. During 2025, while still with the Giants, Okereke committed to visiting all 16 Boys and Girls Clubs of New Jersey. He told giants.com at the time, "I was a Boy Scout growing up, so these youth development organizations are very near and dear to my heart." Longtime team captain Okereke spent much of his football career serving as a team captain for various squads. It began in high school, where he was a captain for Foothill High School's varsity team. In his final year in college, 2018, he was a captain for the Cardinals. Then, in New York, before ever playing a regular-season snap for the Giants, he was named team captain. That began a leadership role he held throughout his time in New York. Okereke was named a Giants team captain all three years he was with the team. Man of the Year nominee in 2025 Team captain was far from the only honor Okereke earned with the Giants last season. He was also New York's Man of the Year team winner and league nominee. That was due in part to his work with the Boys and Girls Clubs across New Jersey, but also to his work with the Nigeria Men's and Women's National Flag Football teams. After making a trip to Lagos in 2024 with Giants legend Osi Umenyiora to work with NFL Africa, Okereke found a passion alongside his ancestral country. He became the general manager of Team Nigeria's Men's and Women's National Flag Football Teams. He works with the clubs to find and develop talent, with the goal of the national team participating in the 2028 Olympic Flag Football Games. Recognizing the group needed funds and support, Okereke founded the Nigerian American Football Foundation. The organization is the official governing body for American football in Nigeria, and seeks to launch the first continental American football league across Africa. They also pour into the younger generation, with a goal to "create transformative opportunities in Nigeria and the broader African region through the sport of American football, improving health, education, and livelihood." Check out some of the best shots of the newest Panther, linebacker Bobby Okereke. Okereke played college ball at Stanford and spent time with the Giants and Colts before coming to Carolina.