John Daka

Last updated

John Daka
Personal information
Born: (1997-12-07) December 7, 1997 (age 26)
Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school: Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School
College: James Madison
Position: Linebacker
Undrafted: 2020
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

John Daka (born December 7, 1997) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at James Madison University. He was the first player of Zambian descent to sign with a National Football League team. [1]

Contents

College career

Daka enrolled at James Madison University despite interest from FBS schools and got off to a slow start to his career with 23 tackles and one sack over his first two seasons. [2] He led the Football Championship Subdivision with 16.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in the 2019 season [3] and was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association first-team. [2] He played in 51 games for the Dukes, totaling 137 tackles, 47.5 tackles for losses, 27.5 sacks, four pass defenses, six forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. [3]

Professional career

Baltimore Ravens

Daka was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2020. [4] He was waived during final roster cuts on August 31, 2020. [5]

New York Jets

On January 12, 2021, Daka signed a reserve/future contract with the New York Jets. [3] He was waived on May 3, 2021. [6]

Los Angeles Rams

On May 4, 2021, Daka was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams. [7] He was waived on August 31, 2021.

Chicago Bears

On January 6, 2022, Daka was signed to the Chicago Bears' practice squad.

Houston Roughnecks

On November 17, 2022, Daka was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. [8] The Roughnecks brand was transferred to the Houston Gamblers when the XFL and USFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL). [9]

St. Louis Battlehawks

Daka was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the fourth round of the Super Draft portion of the 2024 UFL dispersal draft on January 15, 2024. [10] He signed with the team on January 23. [11] He was released on March 10, 2024. [12]

Related Research Articles

Robert Myers is an American football guard for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Tennessee State, and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Edmond Robinson, Jr. is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Newberry. He was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft.

Victor Ochi is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Stony Brook. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2016 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Toliver</span> American football player (born 1995)

Kevin Toliver II is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at LSU.

Reginald Kahlil McKenzie Jr. is a former American football offensive guard and defensive tackle. He played college football at Tennessee. McKenzie was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

Terrell Bonds is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at Tennessee State. Bonds played in the Alliance of American Football for the Memphis Express before it folded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Harvey Jr.</span> American football player (born 1996)

Willie Harvey Jr. is an American football linebacker for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Iowa State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trent Harris (American football)</span> American football player (born 1995)

Trent Harris is an American football linebacker for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for Miami. He signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

Chauncey Rivers is an American football linebacker for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). Rivers was undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Brooks</span> American football player (born 1997)

Antoine Brooks Jr. is an American football safety who is a free agent. He played college football at Maryland and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Jaryd Emanuel Jones-Smith is an American football guard for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh and has been a member of teams in the NFL, Alliance of American Football (AAF), and XFL.

Wyatt Cole Ray is an American football linebacker for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2019 following his college football career with Boston College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Ward (American football)</span> American football player (born 1997)

Tim Ward is an American football linebacker for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for Old Dominion.

Aaron Adeoye is an American football defensive end who is a member of the Edmonton Elks of the CFL. He played college football at Southeast Missouri State University.

Larnel Coleman is an American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at UMass, before being drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connor Davis</span> American football player (born 1994)

Connor Westley Davis is an American football tight end and offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at Stony Brook and was signed before the 2019 AAF season by the Birmingham Iron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andre Mintze</span> American football player (born 1998)

Andre Mintze is an American football linebacker for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Austin Faoliu is an American football nose tackle for the St. Louis Battlehawks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at the University of Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen Logan</span> American football player (born 1998)

Glen Logan is an American football defensive tackle for the Houston Roughnecks of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at LSU.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donovan Jeter</span> American football player (born 1998)

Donovan Jeter is an American football nose tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines. Jeter signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and has also been a member of the Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Houston Roughnecks.

References

  1. ↑ Neumann, Sam (January 14, 2021). "Jets sign NFL's first Zambian player to reserve/future contract". Jetswire.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Scouting Jets edge defender John Daka". Gang Green Nation.com. February 4, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 Greenberg, Ethan (January 12, 2021). "Jets Sign OLB John Daka to Reserve/Future Contract". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ Valente, Tom (May 6, 2020). "Press Release: Ravens Sign Three Draft Picks, Four Rookie Free Agents". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  5. ↑ Mink, Ryan (August 31, 2020). "Ravens Waive Three Players, Place One on IR as Roster Trimming Begins". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  6. ↑ Greenberg, Ethan (May 3, 2021). "Jets Release DE John Daka". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  7. ↑ DaSilva, Cameron (May 4, 2021). "Rams claimed OLB John Daka off waivers from Jets". USAToday.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Rosters for all eight XFL teams: Full draft results and where Vic Beasley, Martavis Bryant landed". ESPN.com. November 18, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  9. ↑ Seifert, Kevin (January 1, 2024). "Newly formed United Football League sets 8 markets, tabs coaches". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  10. ↑ Rachuk, Stephen (January 15, 2024). "2024 United Football League (UFL) Super Draft Tracker". PFNewsroom.com. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  11. ↑ "The UFL Agrees to Terms with 20 Players". UFLBoard.com. January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  12. ↑ "UFL Teams Set their Training Camp Rosters to 58". UFLBoard.com. March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.