Austin Ajiake (born June 30, 2000)[1] is an American professional football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UNLV.
| No. 58 – Indianapolis Colts | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | June 30, 2000 Hayward, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 223 lb (101 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose, California) |
| College: | UNLV (2018–2022) |
| Undrafted: | 2023 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Practice squad |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
editAjiake was born in Hayward, California and grew up in Fremont. He attended Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, where he was a two-sport athlete, competing in both football and track and field.[2]
College career
editAjiake played 10 games in the 2018 season, recording five tackles. He played all 12 games in the 2019 season, recording 14 tackles. He played all 6 games in the 2020 season, which was abridged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, recording seven tackles. In the 2021 season, Ajiake appeared in only eight games due to injury, though he recorded 74 tackles and earned an honorable mention to the all-Mountain West Conference team.
Ajiake played all 12 games in the 2022 season; his 132 tackles were the fifth-most in the country, and the 4th-most in UNLV school history. He also recorded four sacks, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery. Ajiake was chosen for both the 2022 Hula Bowl and the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl, and was named to the first-team all-MWC team.[2] Additionally, Ajiake earned the 2022-2023 Mountain West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.[3][4]
Professional career
edit| 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+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) |
223 lb (101 kg) |
31+5⁄8 in (0.80 m) |
9+1⁄8 in (0.23 m) |
4.60 s | 1.60 s | 2.66 s | 4.27 s | 7.15 s | 38.5 in (0.98 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
13 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[5] | ||||||||||||
After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Ajiake agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers on April 30, 2023,[6] but ultimately did not finalize a contract. On June 16, Ajiake was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL, but did not sign with that team either. He signed with the Denver Broncos on August 3,[7] but was released on August 28. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Ajiake to their practice squad on November 1[8] and released him on November 7.[9] On November 14, the Green Bay Packers signed Ajiake to their practice squad,[10] and released him on December 12. Ajiake tried out for the Buffalo Bills on December 19, but did not sign with the team.[11] The Indianapolis Colts signed Ajiake to their practice squad on December 28,[12] and on January 9, 2024, the Colts signed him to a reserve/futures contract.[13]
Ajiake was waived by the Colts on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad.[14][15]
References
edit- ^ "Austin Ajiake". The Athletic. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Austin Ajiake". UNLVRebels.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Wright, Jarah (August 3, 2023). "Austin Ajiake named Mountain West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, signs with Denver Broncos". KTNV. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Grimala, Mike (August 3, 2023). "Austin Ajiake named top MWC scholar-athlete". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Austin Ajiake, DS #40 OLB, UNLV". DraftScout.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Callahan, Schuyler (April 30, 2023). "Panthers Announce Undrafted Free Agent Class". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Heath, Jon (August 3, 2023). "Broncos sign LB Austin Ajiake after Jonas Griffith's ACL injury". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Former Rebel Star Ajiake Signed By Raiders". UNLVRebels.com. November 1, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Champion, Aidan (November 8, 2023). "Raiders Make Several Early-Week Practice Squad Moves". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ "Packers sign LB Austin Ajiake to practice squad". Packers.com. November 14, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Vásquez, Godofredo A. (June 24, 2024). "Buffalo Bills try out two linebackers". Buffalo News. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ Wally, Drake (December 28, 2023). "Colts Sign Former Broncos, Packers Linebacker". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Horner, Scott (January 8, 2024). "Colts make several roster moves, waiving defensive back who was suspended late in season". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ Stankevitz, JJ (August 27, 2024). "Colts make roster moves to form initial 53-man roster for 2024 regular season". Colts.com. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Colts sign 11 players to practice squad". Colts.com. August 28, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.