Ekejiuba looking to extend life saga in Oakland

By Anthony Carroll  |   Tuesday, July 18, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

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"That's what I love doing, covering kicks and being on special teams. I feel very blessed to be in the position I'm in. It's been a very long road. When I look back to a couple years ago, I'm always amazed at how far I've come."

From Benin, Nigeria to China to California, Isaiah Ekejiuba has dotted the world map.

Connecting one dot to the next, the 24-year-old will now look to extend the line that represents his NFL career.

Ekejiuba moved from Nigeria to upstate New York when he was 14 years old. Before his permanent transition into the States, however, the linebacker patiently traveled through much of Africa, China, and London while his mother worked for the United Nations. It wasn't until 1995 that Ekejiuba and his mother lastingly entered into the United States, moving to Chestnut Ridge, NY.

Seven years later, in 2002, Ekejiuba picked up his college newspaper. In the University of Virginia's early spring edition of the "Daily Cavalier" an advertisement caught the eye of the young student. The ad, however, was for a game that was slightly foreign to the Nigeria native. The game of American Football was one that Ekejiuba never explored in his travels around the world, sticking with soccer, track and field, and basketball to fulfill this athletic craving.

Opting to test his physical capacity, Ekejiuba walked on to the Virginia football program with little knowledge of the game.

"My dad always used to watch football and I didn't really understand the concept. I just wanted to see what it was like," he said.

At a 6-4, 219-pound build, though, the young student of the game had no trouble fitting in. Ekejiuba made the team; in his first year, he suited up for eight games with the Cavaliers. Although he didn't see any on-field time during the eight-game span, Ekejiuba grasped the ins and outs of football during the period. In 2003, Ekejiuba quickly became a standout player on special teams, making appearances in each of the team's 13 season-matchups. He finished his senior season as Virginia's third-leading special teams tackler, earning him the honor as the school's top special teams player.

"It was something. I kind of remember it," said Virginia assistant coach Corwin Brown. "He came at me, a tall, gawky guy. He could run and he had good size. You couldn't help but think, 'How come he hasn't played and why is he just now coming out?' I thought, 'I don't care if he's never played before, if he could learn a couple things, he could be pretty good.'"

Good enough for the NFL, though?

The Arizona Cardinals were the first organization to test that question. Their verdict: not quite. Ekejiuba joined the Cardinals' camp as an undrafted rookie free agent in the offseason of 2005. The 240-pounder spent the entirety of the '05 training camp in Arizona, only to be cut just prior to the commencement of the regular season.

However, mirroring his early life pattern, Ekejiuba persistently and patiently continued on.

On September 6, Ekejiuba signed to the Oakland Raiders practice squad; in late October, he was promoted to the active roster. Just two days after his activation, Ekejiuba debuted in his first NFL contest. In a Week Eight win at Tennessee, the linebacker made his NFL debut on special teams. From that point on, No. 50 would start on special teams for the Silver and Black for the final 10 regular season games, finishing with eight total tackles (seven solo).

Teammate and special teams co-star, Jarrod Cooper, spoke highly of the rookie. "He's an absolute rare specimen. You don't find people like that very much," said Cooper. "We saw him when he was in Arizona before he got here. I watched game tape every year from the last five years on people in the NFL and I was like, 'Who is this?' He just came in like a beast. About three weeks later, he was sitting in our meeting room. I wouldn't want to go up against him."

With training camp approaching, Ekejiuba will have a chance to grant Cooper his wish by staying on the side of the Silver and Black.

With an unparalleled work ethic and attitude, Ekejiuba's stay in Oakland could likely continue through the 2006 campaign and beyond. If, however, struggles arise for the sophomore in the Raiders' upcoming camp, you can rest assured Ekejiuba will land somewhere else.

Based on past events, you can guarantee he will land on his feet.

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Anthony Carroll can be contacted at acarroll@realfootball365.com
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About Anthony Carroll

Anthony Carroll began writing for RealFootball365.com on Sept. 26, 2005, making him one of the longest tenured contributors to the “365” team. As a senior writer, Anthony has taken on the task of delivering original content to the silver and black faithful year round, despite having to deal...
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