| No. 93 Retired | |
| Born: | (1993-04-25) April 25, 1993 (age 31) Brampton, Ontario, Canada |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | DT |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 290 lb (130 kg) |
| College | Iowa |
| CFL draft | 2017, round: 1, pick: 1 |
| Drafted by | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2017 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 2018 | Montreal Alouettes |
| Career stats | |
| |
Faith Ekakitie (born April 25, 1993) is a professional former Canadian football defensive tackle. He was drafted first overall in the 2017 CFL Draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Ekakitie played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was also a member of the Montreal Alouettes.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄8 in (1.86 m) |
304 lb (138 kg) |
33+5⁄8 in (0.85 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) |
5.05 s | 1.81 s | 3.04 s | 4.75 s | 7.68 s | 28.5 in (0.72 m) |
8 ft 5 in (2.57 m) |
24 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Ekakitie was drafted first overall in the 2017 CFL Draft by the Blue Bombers and signed with the team on May 7, 2017 to a three-year contract. In his rookie season Ekakitie dressed for 14 regular-season games and contributed only five tackles. On June 10, 2018 Ekakitie was released by the Blue Bombers.
Montreal Alouettes
On June 14, 2018 Ekakitie signed with the Montreal Alouettes. Faith Ekakitie suffered a torn Achilles during practice on June 26, 2018, causing him to miss the entire 2018 season. He was released by the Alouettes on January 28, 2019.
Injury and Early Retirement
Following over a year of rehab on his Achilles, on July 15, 2019 Ekakitie announced his retirement from professional football. He stated that he hoped to pursue coaching and teaching in the future.
References
- "2017 NFL Draft Scout Faith Ekakitie College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- "Bombers select Iowa defensive tackle Faith Ekakitie first overall – Winnipeg Blue Bombers". May 7, 2017.
- "Bombers release 2017 first overall pick Ekakitie – Article – TSN". TSN. June 11, 2018. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
- "Als sign former first overall pick Ekakitie – CFL.ca". CFL.ca. June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- "Faith Ekakitie suffers torn Achilles, will miss entire 2018 season - 3DownNation". 3DownNation. June 29, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
- "January 28 Transactions". Montreal Alouettes. January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
- Hodge, John. "Former first overall draft pick Faith Ekakitie announces retirement | 3DownNation". Retrieved July 17, 2019.