AMHERST — One of the best questions James Ihedigbo has been asked in his life did not come from a reporter, it came from a Hall of Fame middle linebacker.
Ihedigbo said one of the major lessons he learned from his 10 seasons in the NFL came from Ray Lewis, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame three months ago. The two played one year together in Baltimore, the 2012 season that ended with the Ravens winning the Super Bowl, but Lewis’ message to Ihedigbo made an impact.
“Ray Lewis said ‘What’s your legacy going to be? What are they going to remember you for?” Ihedigbo recalled during halftime of UMass’ 58-42 loss to South Florida on Saturday. “To think time in and time out about all the hard work that we put in here at UMass, to be remembered for this honor, words can’t even express truly how I feel and how appreciative I am to go in with these inductees.”
Ihedigbo was one of four individuals and one team inducted into the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, an honor Ihedigbo used to celebrate his parents and their sacrifices on Friday. Rose and the late Apollos Ihedigbo each earned Ph.D.s in education from UMass, something James Ihedigbo said set the table for him to have the success he has had in his life.
He began as an under-recruited defender out of Amherst Regional, worked his way into being a walk-on with the Minutemen under coach Mark Whipple, worked even harder to get his chance in the NFL and now is a UMass Hall of Famer.
“There were times when I’d wake up at 6:30 in the morning to run stadium stairs here in the same exact stadium, preparing myself for the upcoming season knowing I wanted to play at a higher level,” Ihedigbo said. “Getting that opportunity to do that and going on to play in the NFL, it’s all truly been a blessing.”
But perhaps Whipple summed up Ihedigbo’s legacy better than anyone during his speech Friday night. The coach was on the podium to talk about the 1998 national championship team he led in his first season at UMass, but began his remarks by celebrating Ihedigbo, who played just two of his five years at UMass under Whipple.
“Nobody got more out their ability than you did,” Whipple said. “I remember that day at Amherst High and (then-Amherst High football coach Tom Cullen) really spoke the world of you. When you walked into our place and then every time we played against each other in the National Football League, (I said) this guy is a lot better than he looks. (You) had a tremendous career and I love you to death, man.”
The biggest compliment Whipple paid Ihedigbo, however, came when he called the defensive back a pain in the butt. He said Ihedigbo worked so hard on the scout team defense and did such a good job that he had no choice but to give him a shot in a game.
Ihedigbo took that chance and ran with it for 256 tackles, 12.5 sacks and nine interceptions in his UMass career.
“That was my mindset was whatever I was doing, I was going to try to be the best at,” Ihedigbo said. “When I came to UMass as a redshirt player and my job as scout team, I was going to take it personally. Those are reps, you’re going against the No. 1 offense every single day, so if you want to get better and you want to play on Saturdays or Sundays, those reps where you’re going against the best, you have to perform at your best.”
Now officially retired from the NFL, Ihedigbo is enjoying life with his wife, Brittany, and three children – 4-year-old Grace, 17-month-old Ava and two-week-old Jeremiah. He said it was “surreal” to be back in Amherst for the ceremony as the memories of his playing days rush back to him on a special weekend.
“I’m looking around wondering where my jersey and my pads are because it feels just like yesterday me being on this field and contributing to the success of UMass football,” Ihedigbo said.