Austin Ajiake
{{Short description|American football player (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Austin Ajiake
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_team = Indianapolis Colts
| number = 58
| position = Linebacker
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|6|30}}
| birth_place = Hayward, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 1
| weight_lbs = 223
| high_school = Bellarmine College Prep
(San Jose, California)
| college = UNLV (2018–2022)
| undraftedyear = 2023
| pastteams =
- Denver Broncos ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
- Las Vegas Raiders ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|2023}})*
- Indianapolis Colts ({{NFL Year|2023}}–present)*
| status = Active
| statseason =
| statweek =
| statlabel1 =
| statvalue1 =
| highlights =
- First-team All-Mountain West (2022)
| pfr = AjiaAu00
}}
Austin Ajiake (born June 30, 2000){{cite web |title=Austin Ajiake |website=The Athletic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/nfl/player/austin-ajiake-Efxt99cvR78qV48k/ |access-date=February 21, 2023}} is an American professional football player who is a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UNLV Rebels.
Early life
Ajiake 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.{{cite web |title=Austin Ajiake |website=UNLVRebels.com |url=https://unlvrebels.com/sports/football/roster/austin-ajiake/14965 |access-date=February 21, 2024}}
College career
Ajiake 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. Additionally, Ajiake earned the 2022-2023 Mountain West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.{{cite web |last=Wright |first=Jarah |date=August 3, 2023 |title=Austin Ajiake named Mountain West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, signs with Denver Broncos |website=KTNV |url=https://www.ktnv.com/sports/unlv-sports/austin-ajiake-named-mountain-west-male-scholar-athlete-of-the-year-signs-with-denver-broncos |access-date=February 21, 2024}}{{cite web |last=Grimala |first=Mike | date=August 3, 2023 |title=Austin Ajiake named top MWC scholar-athlete |website=Las Vegas Sun |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2023/aug/03/austin-ajiake-named-top-mwc-scholar-athlete/ |access-date=February 21, 2024}}
Professional career
{{NFL predraft
| height ft = 6
| height in = 1 1/2
| weight = 223
| dash = 4.60
| ten split = 1.60
| twenty split = 2.66
| shuttle = 4.27
| cone drill = 7.15
| vertical = 38.5
| broad ft = 10
| broad in = 3
| bench = 13
| arm span = 31 5/8
| hand span = 9 1/8
| note = All values from Pro Day{{cite web | title=Austin Ajiake, DS #40 OLB, UNLV |website=DraftScout.com |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=1048506&DraftYear=2023 |access-date=February 21, 2024}}
}}
After going undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft, Ajiake agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers on April 30, 2023,{{cite web |last=Callahan |first=Schuyler |date=April 30, 2023 |title=Panthers Announce Undrafted Free Agent Class |website=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/panthers/news/panthers-announce-undrafted-free-agent-class |access-date=February 21, 2024}} 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,{{cite web |last=Heath |first=Jon |date=August 3, 2023 |title=Broncos sign LB Austin Ajiake after Jonas Griffith’s ACL injury |website=Yahoo Sports |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-sign-lb-austin-ajiake-170727507.html |access-date=February 21, 2024}} but was released on August 28. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Ajiake to their practice squad on November 1{{cite web |date=November 1, 2023 |title=Former Rebel Star Ajiake Signed By Raiders |website=UNLVRebels.com |url=https://unlvrebels.com/news/2023/11/1/football-former-rebel-star-ajiake-signed-by-raiders.aspx |access-date=February 21, 2024}} and released him on November 7.{{cite web |last=Champion |first=Aidan |date=November 8, 2023 |title=Raiders Make Several Early-Week Practice Squad Moves |website=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/news/las-vegas-raiders-practice-squad-brandon-parker-kristian-wilkerson-austin-ajiake-isaac-darkangelo |access-date=February 21, 2024}} On November 14, the Green Bay Packers signed Ajiake to their practice squad,{{cite web |date=November 14, 2023 |title=Packers sign LB Austin Ajiake to practice squad |website=Packers.com |url=https://www.packers.com/news/packers-sign-lb-austin-ajiake-to-practice-squad-2023 |access-date=February 21, 2024}} and released him on December 12. Ajiake tried out for the Buffalo Bills on December 19, but did not sign with the team.{{Cite web |last=Vásquez |first=Godofredo A. |date=2024-06-24 |title=Buffalo Bills try out two linebackers |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/buffalo-bills-linebackers-nfl-caleb-johnson-and-austin-ajiake/article_55ca3c5a-9ebf-11ee-9e09-9f7897e8e595.html |access-date=2024-07-23 |website=Buffalo News}} The Indianapolis Colts signed Ajiake to their practice squad on December 28,{{cite web |last=Wally |first=Drake |date=December 28, 2023 |title=Colts Sign Former Broncos, Packers Linebacker |website=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/colts/news/colts-roster-moves-austin-ajiake-packers-broncos |access-date=February 21, 2024}} and on January 9, 2024, the Colts signed him to a reserve/futures contract.{{cite web |last=Horner |first=Scott |date=January 8, 2024 |title=Colts make several roster moves, waiving defensive back who was suspended late in season |website=The Indianapolis Star |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2024/01/08/colts-make-roster-moves-waive-tony-brown-who-was-suspended-at-ended-of-season/72154564007/ |access-date=February 21, 2024}}
Ajiake was waived by the Colts on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad.{{Cite web |last=Stankevitz |first=JJ |date=August 27, 2024 |title=Colts make roster moves to form initial 53-man roster for 2024 regular season |url=https://www.colts.com/news/jason-bean-evan-hull-jaylin-simpson-micah-abraham-roster-cuts-moves-jelani-woods-injured-reserve-53-man-roster |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Colts.com}}{{cite web|title=Colts sign 11 players to practice squad|url=https://www.colts.com/news/colts-roster-moves-sign-11-players-practice-squad|website=Colts.com|date=August 28, 2024 |access-date=September 5, 2024}} He signed a reserve/future contract on January 6, 2025.{{cite web|title=Colts sign RB Tyler Goodson, LB Segun Olubi to 1-year contract extensions, sign 14 players to reserve/future contracts|url=https://www.colts.com/news/colts-sign-rb-tyler-goodson-lb-segun-olubi-to-1-year-contract-extensions-sign-14-players-to-reserve-future-contracts|website=Colts.com|date=January 6, 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.colts.com/team/players-roster/austin-ajiake/ Indianapolis Colts bio]
- [https://unlvrebels.com/sports/football/roster/austin-ajiake/14965 UNLV Rebels bio]
{{Indianapolis Colts roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ajiake, Austin}}
Category:American football linebackers
Category:Bellarmine College Preparatory alumni
Category:Indianapolis Colts players
Category:Players of American football from Hayward, California