Okanlawon was born on March 4, 1979, in
Lagos, Nigeria. He was the second-oldest of seven children. He later moved to the United States where he attended
DeMatha Catholic High School in
Maryland and graduated in 1998, having been named first-team all-conference and honorable mention
USA Today All-American as a
senior. Okanlawon committed to the
University of Maryland and saw immediate playing time as a true
freshman, making six starts and 39 tackles. As a
sophomore in 1999, he started three games and played in a total of nine, missing several games due to a pulled hamstring. Okanlawon made 26 solo tackles and 31 total, while also recording three passes defended and a fumble recovery. Okanlawon missed four games due to a "medical issue", which coach
Ralph Friedgen said he "was not at liberty to discuss." He returned for the final game of the season, starting in a loss in the
Orange Bowl to
Florida. Despite missing four games, Okanlawon was named first-team All-
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) at the end of the year. He finished the season with five interceptions and ten passes defended. He finished his college career with 38 games played, 141 total tackles and six interceptions. ==Professional career==