Daniel Ekuale
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Tanielu "Daniel" Ekuale (born January 13, 1994) is a Samoan
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
for the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...
.


Early years

Ekuale was born and grew in
Pago Pago Pago Pago ( ; Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the territorial capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County on Tutuila, which is American Samoa's main island. ...
,
American Samoa American Samoa ( sm, Amerika Sāmoa, ; also ' or ') is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the island country of Samoa. Its location is centered on . It is east of the International ...
and attended Nuʻuuli Vocational Technical High School. He was rated the best college prospect for his class in American Samoa by most recruiting services and committed to play
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant unive ...
over offers from Oregon, Oregon State and Washington and after originally committing to play at
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
.


College career

Ekuale was a member of the
Washington State Cougars The Washington State Cougars (known informally as the Cougs) are the athletic teams that represent Washington State University. Located in Pullman, Washington, WSU is a member of the Pac-12 Conference in NCAA Division I. The athletic program co ...
for five seasons, redshirting his true freshman season. He became a starter at nose tackle for the Cougars during his redshirt junior season, recording a career-high 23 tackles (2.5 for loss) and a sack. Ekuale entered his redshirt senior season on the watch list for the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year and made 17 tackles (3.5 for loss) and one sack while starting 12 of WSU's 13 games. He finished his collegiate career with 71 total tackles (14 for loss) with three sacks and two forced fumbles.


Professional career


Cleveland Browns

Ekuale signed with the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
as an
undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
on May 4, 2018. He was waived at the end of training camp but re-signed to the Browns' practice squad on September 2, 2018. Ekuale was removed from the practice squad on December 6, 2018, after receiving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy. Ekuale signed a reserve/future contract with the Browns on January 2, 2019, and made the 53-man roster out of training camp. Ekuale made his NFL debut on September 8, 2019, against the Tennessee Titans. The Browns placed Ekuale on injured reserve after sustaining a calf injury while playing against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in Week 8. He finished the season with four tackles, one for a loss, in seven games played. Ekuale was waived by the Browns on September 5, 2020.


Jacksonville Jaguars

On September 8, 2020, Ekuale was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on September 28, 2020. In Week 13 against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
, Ekuale recorded his first career sack on Kirk Cousins during the 27–24 overtime loss. On August 31, 2021, Ekuale was waived by the Jaguars.


New England Patriots

On September 5, 2021, the Patriots signed Ekuale to the practice squad. Ekuale spent the entire 2021 regular season on the Patriots' practice squad, but was elevated to the 53-man roster a total of eight times. On December 6, 2021, Ekuale had 2 tackles and sack in the Patriots 14-10 win over the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Patriots on January 25, 2022. Ekuale was suspended the first two games of the 2022 season. On March 23, 2023, Ekuale re-signed with the Patriots. He suffered a torn biceps in Week 3 and was placed on injured reserve on September 26.


References


External links


New England Patriots bioWashington State Cougars bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ekuale, Daniel 1994 births Living people American football defensive tackles Cleveland Browns players Jacksonville Jaguars players New England Patriots players Players of American football from American Samoa People from Pago Pago Washington State Cougars football players