Iowa’s Retired CFL First-Draft DL with Legacy Intensity
Faith Ekakitie is no longer an active Iowa Hawkeyes athlete—he retired from professional football in 2019 after over a year of Achilles rehab following a 2018 injury, ending a career that included being drafted first overall in the 2017 CFL Draft by Winnipeg. Though his college stats (62 tackles, 12 sacks, 4 forced fumbles as a senior in 2016) reflect elite production, his true differentiator is his legendary intensity, team-captain leadership, and Canadian-born grit that made him a 2012 Semper Fidelis All-America Game standout. He’s not a fit for your current team as an active player, but his legacy as a data-driven, high-intensity defensive lineman remains a benchmark for intensity and resilience in college football culture.
