Ayinde "Ace" Eley (born October 22, 1998) is an American professional football linebacker for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Maryland and Georgia Tech. He has also been a member of the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL).
| No. 41 BC Lions | |
 Eley with the BC Lions in 2024 | |
| Born: | October 22, 1998 Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Status | Active |
| CFL status | American |
| Position(s) | LB |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 233 lb (106 kg) |
| College | Maryland (2017–2020) Georgia Tech (2021–2022) |
| High school | Our Lady of Good Counsel (MD) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2023 | Carolina Panthers* |
| 2024 | Houston Texans* |
| 2024–present | BC Lions |
| *Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career stats | |
| |
Early life
editEley attended Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. He was rated the No. 2 outside linebacker in Maryland, and a four-star recruit by Scout.com in the class of 2017.[1]
College career
editEley first played college football for the Maryland Terrapins from 2018 to 2020. He was redshirted in 2017.[2][1] He played in 12 games, starting one, in 2018, recording 13 tackles, one interception, and one pass breakup. Eley appeared in 11 games, starting nine, during the 2019 season, totaling 79 tackles, 0.5 sacks, one interception, five pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors.[2] He played in three games, starting one, during the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season, and made 19 tackles.[2]
Eley transferred to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets from 2021 to 2022.[3][4] He played in 11 games, all starts, in 2021, recording 90 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and one pass breakup.[1] He started all 12 games during the 2022 season, totaling 118 tackles, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries, garnering second team all-ACC recognition.[1]
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 3+1⁄5 in (1.91 m) |
230 lb (104 kg) |
31+7⁄8 in (0.81 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
4.97 s | 1.76 s | 2.96 s | 4.62 s | 7.50 s | 32 in (0.81 m) |
10 ft 0 in (3.05 m) |
20 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[5] | ||||||||||||
Carolina Panthers
editAfter going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, Eley signed with the Carolina Panthers on May 16, 2023.[6][7] He was waived on August 29.[8][6] He was later signed to the team's practice squad on November 7, 2023.[6]
Houston Texans
editEley was signed by the Houston Texans on January 22, 2024. He was waived on March 21, 2024.[6]
BC Lions
editEley signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on April 3, 2024. He was moved to the practice roster on June 20, and promoted to the active on June 26.[6]
Personal life
editEley's father, Donald Hill-Eley, is a football coach.[9][10]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Ayinde Eley". ramblinwreck.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ayinde Eley". umterps.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ "Eley, McGowan join Ga Tech football as graduate transfers". yahoo.com. January 20, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ Sugiura, Ken (April 5, 2021). "Seeking change, grad transfer Ayinde Eley happy at Georgia Tech". ajc.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Ayinde Eley College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Ayinde Eley". Footballdb.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ Sugiura, Ken (May 16, 2023). "Former Yellow Jacket Ayinde Eley signs with Panthers as undrafted rookie". ajc.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ Caudell, Jackson (August 29, 2023). "Former Georgia Tech linebacker Ace Eley released by the Carolina Panthers". si.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ "As the son of a coach, Maryland LB Ayinde Eley grew to love football. A health scare nearly took it away". baltimoresun.com. September 5, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ Sugiura, Ken (October 28, 2022). "At last, football brings Georgia Tech's Ayinde Eley and his father together". ajc.com. Retrieved August 17, 2024.