Austin Ajiake
| 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: | Active |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Austin Ajiake (born June 30, 2000)[1] is an American professional football player who is a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UNLV.
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.[2]
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.[2] Additionally, Ajiake earned the 2022-2023 Mountain West Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.[3][4]
Professional career
| 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] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 6, 2025.[16]
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Colts sign RB Tyler Goodson, LB Segun Olubi to 1-year contract extensions, sign 14 players to reserve/future contracts". Colts.com. January 6, 2025.