Obi Ezeh
Encyclopedia
Obi Pius Ezeh is an American football
linebacker
who is currently a free agent
. He was included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. He is the active Michigan Wolverines football
career leader in tackles
.
In high school, he played running back
on offense more regularly than linebacker on defense. He shared running duties as a sophomore and junior before becoming the starter as a senior at Catholic Central High School in . He established his school career rushing record of nearly 3,000 yards. As a senior he scored a two-point conversion
to give his school a one point victory and a berth in the 2005 Michigan High School Athletic Association
state championship game at Ford Field
. He was also a member of a four-time state champion high school rugby
team and was invited to tryout with the United States national rugby union team
.
At Michigan, he redshirted as a true freshman. Then, as a redshirt freshman for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
, he battled for the starting middle linebacker position and appeared to have lost the position early in the season. However, after an injury he became a regular starter. He concluded the season with thirteen and twelve tackle efforts against bitter rivals Michigan State
and Ohio State
, respectively. He started his redshirt sophomore season with a Big Ten Conference
defensive player of the week, fifteen-tackle effort for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
. He finished the season as an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection. Just after earning 2009 midseason Butkus Award watchlist recognition, he was removed from the starting lineup and saw limited action in the final four games.
After his senior season in 2010, Ezeh declared for the 2011 NFL Draft
, where he went undrafted. He later signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins
.
for the 2003 Catholic Central Cougars football team, Ezeh had several 100-yard games as well as multiple touchdown games, even though he was not the primary weapon in the backfield. Ezeh was also a member of the Cougars rugby
team that placed 11th at the 2004 United States High School Rugby National Championships.
As a junior running back, he opened his football season with 170 yards on 18 carries. In the 2004 district championship game, he rushed for 88 yards in the first half, but was held to 5 in the second half as Catholic Central lost 33–20. Over the course of the season he compiled 907 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Ezeh was recognized as a Detroit News Class B All-state honorable mention linebacker. He was also selected as Grand Rapids All-area honorable mention, according to The Grand Rapids Press. He also helped lead the 2005 rugby team to a State Championship threepeat.
In 2005, Ezeh entered his senior season as the focal point of his school's running game and was rated as the seventh best football prospect in the state of Michigan, according to The Detroit News
. He was also invited to tryout for the United States national rugby union team
as an outside center. During the season, Ezeh was regularly among the leading rushers in the area. In the Division 4 state semifinal game, Ezeh returned a kickoff
80 yards for a touchdown and rushed for 136 yards on 24 carries. During the game, after Catholic Central scored on a quarterback sneak
with 2:28 remaining, Ezeh scored on a two-point conversion
to give his team a 35–34 victory. This led them to the 2005 MHSAA
state championship game at Ford Field
, which they lost 17–10 to Powers Catholic High School
. By the end of the season, Ezeh had compiled a school record 2,914 career rushing yards, which included 33 touchdowns. During his senior year he also occasionally played linebacker, recording 34 tackles (16 for a loss). Although, he missed part of the season with an ankle injury, he totaled 1,391 yards and 10 touchdowns on 217 carries and added seven pass receptions
, including one touchdown, and he was recognized as a 2nd-team All-area running back. The Detroit News recognized him as their postseason number six blue chip prospect in the state, and he was selected to play in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association's annual all-star game. In February 2006, he signed his letter of intent
to play for Michigan, where it was unclear whether he would play fullback
, tight end
or linebacker.
for an incident when his vehicle struck a utility pole on the same street on which he lives while his blood-alcohol content was 0.11% (the legal limit in Michigan is 0.08%). Ezeh pled not guilty, and the trial was scheduled for September 19 in the 15th District Court. The time of the accident was outside the permissible times for Ezeh's restricted driving license that resulted from a prior non-alcohol related accident. On the football field, redshirt freshman Ezeh entered the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
in a three-way battle to replace NFL-bound David Harris
at middle linebacker with redshirt junior John Thompson and junior college
transfer Austin Panter, who had been named national junior college defensive player of the year. Harris also hailed from Grand Rapids and had worn the number 45. The week before the season opener, The Detroit News
declared Ezeh the starter, however, the Ann Arbor News
and Ezeh's hometown The Grand Rapids Press both stated that the race between Ezeh and Thompson was undecided heading into the game. In the aftermath of the September 1 opening game
loss to two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers
, more was made of the fact that both players had trouble playing the position than who had started the game. Ezeh started the first game, but lost his spot to Thompson in the next two. After three weeks of play, Thompson, who had been voted the hardest hitter on the team the previous two seasons, had established himself as the starter by ranking second on the team in tackles. However, although Thompson had stepped up to the role he was notable for having trouble with pass coverage. Ezeh accumulated no statistics in the third and fourth game, but recorded his first interception in the fifth game on September 29 against Northwestern
on a deflected pass. Ezeh started that game because of an injury. The following week, he again started in place of the injured Thompson and recorded nine tackles against Eastern Michigan
. He also forced a fumble and fielded one kickoff return. Even though Thompson recovered from his ankle injury after four weeks, Ezeh retained the starting job the remainder of the season for a total of ten starts. Thompson only recorded four tackles the rest of the year. On November 1, his lawyer stated that on August 29 Ezeh had pled guilty to an operating while visibly intoxicated charge, which is a serious misdemeanor
but a lesser charge than the original operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and had sought alcohol counseling prior to his sentence. The plea resulted in a year's probation, three days in a work release program, a substantial payment covering fines, court costs and restitution. He committed to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving
class. In the November 3 Paul Bunyan Trophy
victory against Michigan State
he recorded a season-high 13 tackles and two sacks. One of the sacks occurred on Michigan State's final series of downs in Michigan territory to help secure the 28–24 win. Ezeh recorded 12 tackles in the Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game against Ohio State
on November 17 to end the regular season.
After the graduation of Shawn Crable
and Chris Graham
there was again a notable battle for linebacker positions entering the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
. Ezeh who had posted 68 tackles in 2007 was the leading returning tackler. As the only returning starting linebacker, Ezeh assumed the role of mentor. Ezeh won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award on September 1, 2008 for a game against the Utah Utes
where he recorded 15 tackles
and an interception. He also earned an ABC
Player of the Game recognition. Ezeh also posted fifteen tackles in the October 4 game against the Illinois Fighting Illini
, which earned him his second ABC Player of the Game award. He posted two other double digit tackle games, including a ten tackle effort in his second Paul Bunyan Trophy game. Ezeh finished the season seventh in the Big Ten in tackles. He was recognized as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media.
Ezeh entered the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
opener with the third most career starts (23) on the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
behind punter Zoltan Mesko
(38) and offensive lineman Stephen Schilling
(26). As a redshirt junior during the 2009 season for the Wolverines, Ezeh posted fourteen tackles against Michigan State
bringing his three-game career total to 37 tackles against the Spartans. Ezeh had grown up in a neighborhood with many Michigan State fans who flew their Michigan State flags, and he once attended Michigan Football camp wearing a Michigan State shirt. He has been included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. The midseason list includes sixteen linebackers. Although he was added to the midseason Butkus watchlist in mid October, on October 31 he was removed from the starting lineup after starting 29 straight games.
During the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
he started the first six games for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team
before losing the starting middle linebacker position to Kenny Demens. Ezeh's final regular start was against Michigan State
on October 9, when he tied his season-high with nine tackles and boosted his career total against Michigan State to 46. When Jonas Mouton
was unavailable for the Purdue
game on November 13 due to a chest injury, Ezeh stepped in and recorded his first sack of the season as well as eight solo tackles.
30 inches (76.2 cm) and standing broad jump 9 in 2 in (2.79 m). However, after hiring a new trainer he posted better numbers at an April regional combine: 40-yard dash - 4.81 seconds; vertical jump
34.5 inches (87.6 cm) and standing broad jump 9 in 4 in (2.84 m) as well as a 4.81 time in the 20-yard shuttle.
and in the first few days following the 2011 NFL lockout
he went unsigned, before signing with the Washington Redskins
as an undrafted free agent on July 31, 2011. He was waived on August 19.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. He is the active Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
career leader in tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
.
In high school, he played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
on offense more regularly than linebacker on defense. He shared running duties as a sophomore and junior before becoming the starter as a senior at Catholic Central High School in . He established his school career rushing record of nearly 3,000 yards. As a senior he scored a two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
to give his school a one point victory and a berth in the 2005 Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
state championship game at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
. He was also a member of a four-time state champion high school rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
team and was invited to tryout with the United States national rugby union team
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
.
At Michigan, he redshirted as a true freshman. Then, as a redshirt freshman for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2007 college football season. This was Lloyd Carr's final season as Michigan head coach. The 2007 season began with a stunning loss to Appalachian State, but the Wolverines won eight straight games after...
, he battled for the starting middle linebacker position and appeared to have lost the position early in the season. However, after an injury he became a regular starter. He concluded the season with thirteen and twelve tackle efforts against bitter rivals Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
and Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, respectively. He started his redshirt sophomore season with a Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
defensive player of the week, fifteen-tackle effort for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
. He finished the season as an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection. Just after earning 2009 midseason Butkus Award watchlist recognition, he was removed from the starting lineup and saw limited action in the final four games.
After his senior season in 2010, Ezeh declared for the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, where he went undrafted. He later signed as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
High school
As a youth, Ezeh was unable to play football because he was too big for the local leagues according to Grand Rapids area officials. As a sophomore running backRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the 2003 Catholic Central Cougars football team, Ezeh had several 100-yard games as well as multiple touchdown games, even though he was not the primary weapon in the backfield. Ezeh was also a member of the Cougars rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
team that placed 11th at the 2004 United States High School Rugby National Championships.
As a junior running back, he opened his football season with 170 yards on 18 carries. In the 2004 district championship game, he rushed for 88 yards in the first half, but was held to 5 in the second half as Catholic Central lost 33–20. Over the course of the season he compiled 907 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Ezeh was recognized as a Detroit News Class B All-state honorable mention linebacker. He was also selected as Grand Rapids All-area honorable mention, according to The Grand Rapids Press. He also helped lead the 2005 rugby team to a State Championship threepeat.
In 2005, Ezeh entered his senior season as the focal point of his school's running game and was rated as the seventh best football prospect in the state of Michigan, according to The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
. He was also invited to tryout for the United States national rugby union team
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
as an outside center. During the season, Ezeh was regularly among the leading rushers in the area. In the Division 4 state semifinal game, Ezeh returned a kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
80 yards for a touchdown and rushed for 136 yards on 24 carries. During the game, after Catholic Central scored on a quarterback sneak
Quarterback sneak
A quarterback sneak is a play in Canadian and American football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, dives ahead while the offensive line surges forward...
with 2:28 remaining, Ezeh scored on a two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
to give his team a 35–34 victory. This led them to the 2005 MHSAA
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
state championship game at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
, which they lost 17–10 to Powers Catholic High School
Powers Catholic High School
Luke M. Powers Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Flint, Michigan. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing.-Background:...
. By the end of the season, Ezeh had compiled a school record 2,914 career rushing yards, which included 33 touchdowns. During his senior year he also occasionally played linebacker, recording 34 tackles (16 for a loss). Although, he missed part of the season with an ankle injury, he totaled 1,391 yards and 10 touchdowns on 217 carries and added seven pass receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
, including one touchdown, and he was recognized as a 2nd-team All-area running back. The Detroit News recognized him as their postseason number six blue chip prospect in the state, and he was selected to play in the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association's annual all-star game. In February 2006, he signed his letter of intent
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
to play for Michigan, where it was unclear whether he would play fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
or linebacker.
Michigan
As expected, Ezeh, who had suffered a shoulder injury, redshirted his freshman year. Prior to his redshirt freshman season, he changed jersey numbers from 44 to 45 as he converted from fullback to linebacker. On May 22, 2007, he was charged with suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicatedDriving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
for an incident when his vehicle struck a utility pole on the same street on which he lives while his blood-alcohol content was 0.11% (the legal limit in Michigan is 0.08%). Ezeh pled not guilty, and the trial was scheduled for September 19 in the 15th District Court. The time of the accident was outside the permissible times for Ezeh's restricted driving license that resulted from a prior non-alcohol related accident. On the football field, redshirt freshman Ezeh entered the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
for the 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
2007 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2007 college football season. This was Lloyd Carr's final season as Michigan head coach. The 2007 season began with a stunning loss to Appalachian State, but the Wolverines won eight straight games after...
in a three-way battle to replace NFL-bound David Harris
David Harris (American football)
-2007 NFL Draft:Harris was projected to go anywhere from the late-second round to the fourth round prior to the 2007 NFL Draft. However, he impressed scouts when he ran a 4.59 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine...
at middle linebacker with redshirt junior John Thompson and junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
transfer Austin Panter, who had been named national junior college defensive player of the year. Harris also hailed from Grand Rapids and had worn the number 45. The week before the season opener, The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
declared Ezeh the starter, however, the Ann Arbor News
Ann Arbor News
The Ann Arbor News was a newspaper serving Washtenaw and Livingston counties in Michigan. Published in Ann Arbor, under various names from 1835 to 2009, The News was part of Booth Newspapers, owned by Advance Publications Inc. The News was published in the afternoons Monday through Friday and in...
and Ezeh's hometown The Grand Rapids Press both stated that the race between Ezeh and Thompson was undecided heading into the game. In the aftermath of the September 1 opening game
2007 Appalachian State vs. Michigan football game
The 2007 Appalachian State-Michigan game was a college football game held on September 1 at Michigan Stadium on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It pitted the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines against the two-time defending champions of the Division I FCS, the...
loss to two-time defending FCS champion Appalachian State Mountaineers
2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
The 2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team represented Appalachian State University in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team was coached by Jerry Moore and the Mountaineers played their home games at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, North Carolina.The football team competes in...
, more was made of the fact that both players had trouble playing the position than who had started the game. Ezeh started the first game, but lost his spot to Thompson in the next two. After three weeks of play, Thompson, who had been voted the hardest hitter on the team the previous two seasons, had established himself as the starter by ranking second on the team in tackles. However, although Thompson had stepped up to the role he was notable for having trouble with pass coverage. Ezeh accumulated no statistics in the third and fourth game, but recorded his first interception in the fifth game on September 29 against Northwestern
2007 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 2007 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2007–2008 college football season. Pat Fitzgerald, in his second season at Northwestern, was the team's head coach...
on a deflected pass. Ezeh started that game because of an injury. The following week, he again started in place of the injured Thompson and recorded nine tackles against Eastern Michigan
2007 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
The 2007 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the college football season of 2007. They competed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
. He also forced a fumble and fielded one kickoff return. Even though Thompson recovered from his ankle injury after four weeks, Ezeh retained the starting job the remainder of the season for a total of ten starts. Thompson only recorded four tackles the rest of the year. On November 1, his lawyer stated that on August 29 Ezeh had pled guilty to an operating while visibly intoxicated charge, which is a serious misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
but a lesser charge than the original operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and had sought alcohol counseling prior to his sentence. The plea resulted in a year's probation, three days in a work release program, a substantial payment covering fines, court costs and restitution. He committed to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
class. In the November 3 Paul Bunyan Trophy
Paul Bunyan Trophy
The Paul Bunyan–Governor of Michigan Trophy is a college rivalry trophy awarded to the winner of the annual American football game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. The winner retains possession of the trophy until the next year's game...
victory against Michigan State
2007 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2007 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State University in the 2007–2008 college football season. Mark Dantonio began his first season as the Spartans' head coach. The Spartans play their home games at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan.-Schedule:-2008 NFL...
he recorded a season-high 13 tackles and two sacks. One of the sacks occurred on Michigan State's final series of downs in Michigan territory to help secure the 28–24 win. Ezeh recorded 12 tackles in the Michigan – Ohio State rivalry game against Ohio State
2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of the Ohio State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio...
on November 17 to end the regular season.
After the graduation of Shawn Crable
Shawn Crable
-New England Patriots:Crable was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Crable was inactive for the first half of 2008 and was placed injured reserve with a shin injury on November 5, 2008. He was placed on injured reserve on September 5, 2009 with a groin...
and Chris Graham
Chris Graham (American football)
Chris De'monte Graham is an American football linebacker who is currently a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
there was again a notable battle for linebacker positions entering the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2...
for the 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
. Ezeh who had posted 68 tackles in 2007 was the leading returning tackler. As the only returning starting linebacker, Ezeh assumed the role of mentor. Ezeh won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award on September 1, 2008 for a game against the Utah Utes
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
where he recorded 15 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and an interception. He also earned an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
Player of the Game recognition. Ezeh also posted fifteen tackles in the October 4 game against the Illinois Fighting Illini
2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
The 2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois in the 2008–2009 college football season. The team's head coach was Ron Zook. The Illini played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois...
, which earned him his second ABC Player of the Game award. He posted two other double digit tackle games, including a ten tackle effort in his second Paul Bunyan Trophy game. Ezeh finished the season seventh in the Big Ten in tackles. He was recognized as an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by both the coaches and the media.
Ezeh entered the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
opener with the third most career starts (23) on the 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 college football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference...
behind punter Zoltan Mesko
Zoltan Mesko (American football)
Zoltán Meskó is a Romanian-born American football punter for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. A native of Romania , he emigrated with his family to the United...
(38) and offensive lineman Stephen Schilling
Stephen Schilling
Stephen Dana Schilling is an American football offensive guard for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was included on the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Lombardi Award...
(26). As a redshirt junior during the 2009 season for the Wolverines, Ezeh posted fourteen tackles against Michigan State
2009 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2009 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of the Michigan State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans were coached by Mark Dantonio, who was in his third season with the Spartans...
bringing his three-game career total to 37 tackles against the Spartans. Ezeh had grown up in a neighborhood with many Michigan State fans who flew their Michigan State flags, and he once attended Michigan Football camp wearing a Michigan State shirt. He has been included on both the 2009 midseason and the 2009 preseason watchlist for the Butkus Award. The midseason list includes sixteen linebackers. Although he was added to the midseason Butkus watchlist in mid October, on October 31 he was removed from the starting lineup after starting 29 straight games.
During the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
he started the first six games for the 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team
2010 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Michigan played its home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference. The season was the first since the renovation of...
before losing the starting middle linebacker position to Kenny Demens. Ezeh's final regular start was against Michigan State
2010 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2010 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Mark Dantonio was in his fourth season with the Spartans...
on October 9, when he tied his season-high with nine tackles and boosted his career total against Michigan State to 46. When Jonas Mouton
Jonas Mouton
-College career:He redshirted in 2006 and made his career debut on September 15, 2007 against Notre Dame. On January 1, 2008, in the Capital One Bowl against Florida he made a 20-yard kickoff return....
was unavailable for the Purdue
2010 Purdue Boilermakers football team
The 2010 Purdue Boilermakers football team represented Purdue University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They played their home games at Ross–Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana and compete in the Big Ten Conference. It was Danny Hope's second season as head coach...
game on November 13 due to a chest injury, Ezeh stepped in and recorded his first sack of the season as well as eight solo tackles.
Pre-draft
At his initial March 17, 2011 pro day, he posted modest numbers: 40-yard dash - 5.07 seconds; vertical jumpVertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...
30 inches (76.2 cm) and standing broad jump 9 in 2 in (2.79 m). However, after hiring a new trainer he posted better numbers at an April regional combine: 40-yard dash - 4.81 seconds; vertical jump
Vertical jump
A vertical jump or vertical leap is the act of raising one's center of gravity higher in the vertical plane solely with the use of one's own muscles; it is a measure of how high an individual or athlete can elevate off the ground from a standstill.-Types of vertical jump:The vertical jump is...
34.5 inches (87.6 cm) and standing broad jump 9 in 4 in (2.84 m) as well as a 4.81 time in the 20-yard shuttle.
Washington Redskins
He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
and in the first few days following the 2011 NFL lockout
2011 NFL lockout
The 2011 National Football League lockout was a lockout that lasted from March 11 to July 25. It occurred primarily during the offseason for 18 weeks and 4 days...
he went unsigned, before signing with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
as an undrafted free agent on July 31, 2011. He was waived on August 19.
Personal
Ezeh is the son of Pius and Nkechy. He has four siblings: Onyinye, Kaka, Nnenna and Nicole.External links
- archived version of Official bio at Michigan
- Ezeh at CBS SportsCBS SportsCBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
- Ezeh at ESPN.comESPN.comESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
- Ezeh at NCAA