In 1989, Okoye enjoyed his best NFL season by far, leading the league in both rushing attempts (370) and rushing yards (1,480), becoming the first Chiefs player to lead the NFL in rushing. Though the Chiefs missed the playoffs, Okoye was selected by UPI as the American Football Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and earned a trip to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.

Okoye retired as the Chiefs’ all-time rushing leader, having amassed 4,897 yards, 1,246 attempts, and 14 games with at least 100 yards rushing, in his six seasons. Those team records have since been surpassed by Priest Holmes. His 40 career rushing touchdowns as a member of the Chiefs trail only Holmes and Marcus Allen. His Chiefs records for carries in a game and rushing attempts in a season were surpassed by Larry Johnson. Okoye was the team MVP in 1989, and was enshrined in the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2000.

The remainder of Okoye’s career was marked by a nagging knee injury, one which limited him to 805 yards and a 3.3 yard average per carry in 1990. Though his 1991 performance (1,031 yards, 4.6 yards per carry) earned him his second Pro Bowl appearance, Okoye’s carries in 1992 were largely limited to goal-line situations.

Okoye married his college sweetheart Lauren Brown in 1990, and divorced in 1996. They had two children together, Michael Emeka Okoye born July 12, 1990, who died shortly after birth due to neonatal asphyxia, and Tiana Chinwe Okoye born August 26, 1991.

On August 25, 1993, Chiefs placed Okoye on injured reserve before the regular season began due to knee injuries. He underwent surgeries on both his knees and was released on an injury settlement that September. He went home to California to continue rehabilitating his knee. He intended to work out for other teams before ultimately retiring.