Akwasi Owusu-Ansah ( ; born April 10, 1988) is a former

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 ...

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such offensive running plays as sweeps and reverses. They create tur ...

in 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 ...

for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

, and

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

. He also was a member of the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

in the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. He was drafted in the fourth round of the

2010 NFL Draft The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, with the firs ...

by the

. 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 ...

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a public research university in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. As of fall 2021, the university enrolled 7,044 undergraduates and 1,865 postgraduates, for a total enrollment of 9,009 students. The univ ...

Early years

Owusu-Ansah family comes from

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

, West Africa. He attended Whetstone High School in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

and graduated in 2006. He left as the school's career leading rusher for yards and

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...

s. He also helped Whetstone to their first back-to-back winning seasons in over 10 years, while receiving All-Ohio Honorable Mention honors as a senior. He practiced

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

and

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

College career

Owusu-Ansah played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks of

NCAA Division II NCAA Division II (D-II) is an intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environmen ...

. He became a starter as a junior, when he registered eight interceptions, including seven in the last four games, and three against

Gannon University Gannon University is a private Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania. Gannon University has approximately 4,500 students and 46,000 alumni. Its intercollegiate athletics include 18 athletic programs for men and women competing at the NCAA Di ...

. Prior to his senior season in 2009 he was ranked as the ninth-best cornerback in the nation, and the only non- Division I player in the top 18. During his senior season, he returned three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns and ranked in the top 15 nationally for kick and punt return average yards. He set school records for punt return yards and average and kickoff return yards. He was selected for the 2010

East-West Shrine Game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

, but could not participate due to a shoulder injury suffered during his senior season. He later underwent surgery performed by James Bradley, team doctor of the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

, in March 2010. Just before the surgery, Owusu-Ansah participated in the Pro Day workout at

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

, where he recorded the fastest

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

time. Following his senior season, he was selected first-team All-American by the

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

, second-team by the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...

and first-team All- PSAC for defense and special teams. Upon being drafted, he was the seventh player selected from IUP, and the third-highest selection for the school after

Jim Haslett James Donald Haslett (born December 9, 1955) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks before being drafted by the Buff ...

in 1979 and

Leander Jordan Leander Jordan (born September 15, 1977) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). R ...

in 2000. He is a member of

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty advi ...

fraternity, Gamma Mu chapter. He is frequently referred to as "Kwasi".

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys (first stint)

Although he was considered to be inexperienced coming from a small school background and was also recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered as a senior, Owusu-Ansah was selected by the

in the fourth round (126th overall) of the

, because of his athletic measurables. In the process, the team passed on other

defensive backs In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

Kam Chancellor Kameron Darnel Chancellor (born April 3, 1988), nicknamed "Bam Bam", is an American former football strong safety who played for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech prior t ...

Kendrick Lewis Kendrick Lewis (born June 16, 1988) is a former American football free safety. He played college football at Ole Miss and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He also played for the Houston Texans, Bal ...

Nolan Carroll Nolan Alexander Carroll II (born January 18, 1987) is a former American football cornerback. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Maryland. He has also played for the Philad ...

Sherrick McManis Sherrick Terravis McManis (born December 19, 1987) is an American football cornerback and special teamer who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northweste ...

and

Reshad Jones Reshad Monquez Jones (born February 25, 1988) is a former American football strong safety. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia. Early years Resha ...

. On July 19, he agreed to a four-year contract worth $2.24 million with the Cowboys. As a rookie, he was moved between the

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

and

position, earning the job as the team's primary

kickoff returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...

. He was placed on the

injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

on November 10, with an ankle injury, after playing in 7 games. On September 3,

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

, Owusu-Ansah was released. He cleared waivers and signed to the

practice squad In sports, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. Frequently used in gridiron football, they serve as extra players during the team's practices, ...

on September 4. During the

2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season was the 92nd regular season of the National Football League and the 46th of the Super Bowl era. It began on Thursday, September 8, 2011, with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay defeating the Super Bowl XLIV champion New ...

, the Cowboys started playing him at wide receiver in addition to

. He was waived from the team on November 29.

Jacksonville Jaguars

On December 4,

, the

signed Owusu-Ansah to their

. He was promoted to the active roster on December 6, after the Jaguars released

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...

Fendi Onobun. He played in 4 games with 2 starts. He was released on May 7,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

Dallas Cowboys (second stint)

The

claimed Owusu-Ansah off waivers on May 8,

. He was released during the final roster cuts on August 31.

Oakland Raiders

On September 19,

, he was signed to the

practice squad. He was re-signed and released from the practice two additional times, until being waived on May 13,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

New Orleans Saints

On July 23,

, Owusu-Ansah signed with the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

. He was cut on August 27.

Detroit Lions

On December 2,

, he was signed to the

practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on December 27. He was released on May 12,

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

Los Angeles KISS

On December 23,

, he was assigned to the Los Angeles KISS of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

but refused to report.

Toronto Argonauts

On May 21,

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

, Owusu-Ansah signed with the

of the

(CFL). He was named the starter at

and finished the 2015 season having played in all 18 regular season games. He registered 40 tackles, 4 interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and 2

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

tackles in his first year in the CFL. In 2016, he played in just four games and had 10 tackles, after a pectoral injury ended his season early. On February 27,

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, he was re-signed by the Argos. He posted 30 tackles and was a part of the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

championship team, that had a 27-24 win against the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-old ...

on November 26. He wasn't re-signed after the season.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Owusu-Ansah, Akwasi 1988 births Living people Players of American football from Columbus, Ohio Players of Canadian football from Columbus, Ohio Whetstone High School (Columbus, Ohio) alumni American football safeties American football cornerbacks Canadian football defensive backs American players of Canadian football Dallas Cowboys players IUP Crimson Hawks football players Detroit Lions players Jacksonville Jaguars players Toronto Argonauts players American sportspeople of Ghanaian descent