Anthony Ekpe

Photo by: Maeve Bradfield/Ball State Athletics

Position:
Outside Linebacker
Ht./Wt.:
6-1 / 235
Class:
Graduate Student
Hometown:
Pflugerville, Texas
Prev School:
Rice Univ.
High School:
Hendrickson HS

Awards and Honors:
2020 All-Mid-American Conference First Team
2020 CoSIDA Academic All-District
2020 Academic All-Mid-American Conference
2020 Mid-American Conference Distinguished Scholar Athlete
2018 All-Conference USA Honorable Mention (coaches)
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Conference USA Honor Roll
2019 Rice Honor Athlete

2020 (Gr.): Named to the All-MAC First Team … a grad transfer and outside linebacker who played in all eight games and made four starts … tied for the MAC lead with two forced fumbles … tied for second in the league with a BSU team-high 5.0 sacks … led the Cardinals with 7.0 tackles for loss … half of his 14 tackles on the season went for loss … entered bowl season ranked in the top 5 in the FBS in pass rush grade according to Pro Football Focus … had season highs with 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks plus a forced fumble in his BSU debut in the opener at Miami … had 2.0 tackles for loss in the win at Central Michigan … forced a game-clinching fumble on a strip-sack (his second of the season) in the final minute at Toledo.

PREVIOUS SCHOOL: (Played at Rice University from 2016-19)
2019 (R-Jr.): Limited to eight games due to a midseason injury, but returned to action and logged a key early sack in the season finale at UTEP … started the first five games before being injured early versus Louisiana Tech … credited with a career-high nine tackles versus Wake Forest, one better than his previous high of eight in the season opener at Army … shared sacks versus Baylor and Louisiana Tech before registering a solo sack for a loss of a 11 yards versus UTEP to help set up the Owls opening touchdown … named to Phil Steele’s All-CUSA preseason fourth team.

2018 (R-So.): Led the team with six sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss … sack total ranked 14th in C-USA in all games and was seventh in conference games … sacked North Texas’ Mason Fine three times in Denton, the first Owl to have three sacks in a game since Brian Womac at UTSA in 2017 … made his first career start in the opener and sparked the Owls’ fourth quarter comeback versus Prairie View with a sack and forced fumble.

2017 (R-Fr.): Saw action in 11 games in his first collegiate action, and was credited with nine tackles (three of them for a loss of 10 yards) … picked up his first career tackle at Houston … recorded his first career sack at Pitt for a loss of six yards … credited with a game-best four tackles vs. Army, including one for a loss of three.

2016 (Fr.): Took a redshirt season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Competed at Hendrickson High in Texas for coach Chip Killian … first team all-state (TAPSE) and District 13-6A Defensive MVP as the Hawks finished 9-3 and won the district title his senior season … compiled 78 tackles as a senior, 18 for loss (15 sacks) while forcing four fumbles and blocking three field goals … also ran the 400 meters in track … a member of the National Honor Society … served as an officer in the FCA.

PERSONAL: Son of Jude and Stella Ekpe … born April 1, 1998 … four siblings … earned his bachelor’s degree at Rice and plans to pursue an MBA at Ball State … full name is Jude-Anthony Chukwuemeka Ekpe.