Joel Iyiegbuniwe

Joel Iyiegbuniwe (born October 12, 1995) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at Western Kentucky.

Joel Iyiegbuniwe
refer to caption
Iyiegbuniwe in 2017
Personal information
Born: (1995-10-12) October 12, 1995
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school:South Warren
(Bowling Green, Kentucky)
College:Western Kentucky (2014–2017)
Position:Inside linebacker
NFL Draft:2018 / Round: 4 / Pick: 115
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • First-team All-CUSA (2017)
Career NFL statistics as of 2022
Total tackles:31
Forced fumbles:1
Pass deflections:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Iyiegbuniwe attended South Warren High School in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Although as a senior he only played in four games, he tallied 23 tackles and one interception along with six touchdowns. As a junior he made 64 tackles with three interceptions along with four touchdowns.[1] Iyiegbuniwe committed to play football for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in December 2013, choosing them over Indiana State and Southern Illinois.[2]

College career

As a true freshman in 2014, Iyiegbuniwe played in the first three games of Western Kentucky's season before a knee injury ended his season. He elected to take a medical redshirt.[3]

In 2015, as a redshirt freshman, Iyiegbuniwe played in all 14 of Western Kentucky's games, recording 19 tackles and one sack.[4]

In 2016, Iyiegbuniwe, now a redshirt sophomore, once again appeared in all 14 games. He made 64 tackles (10 for loss), 3.5 sacks, three pass deflections and one forced fumble.[5] He was awarded 2016 C-USA Honorable Mention.[6]

As a redshirt junior in 2017, Iyiegbuniwe played in all 13 games, recording 117 tackles (11.5 for loss), two sacks, one pass deflection and three forced fumbles.[7] He was named to the 2017 C-USA First-team.[8] After the season, he declared for the 2018 NFL Draft.[9]

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span40-yard dash10-yard split20-yard split20-yard shuttleThree-cone drillVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 1+3⁄8 in
(1.86 m)		 229 lb
(104 kg)		 32+5⁄8 in
(0.83 m)		 10+1⁄4 in
(0.26 m)		4.60 s1.60 s2.70 s4.28 s7.06 s35.0 in
(0.89 m)		9 ft 9 in
(2.97 m)		19 reps
All values from NFL Combine[10][11][12]

Chicago Bears
Iyiegbuniwe in a game against the Washington Redskins

Iyiegbuniwe was selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round (115th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft.[13]

Seattle Seahawks

On March 24, 2022, Iyiegbuniwe signed a one-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks.[14] He was released on August 20, 2022.[15]

Carolina Panthers

On October 20, 2022, Iyiegbuniwe was signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad.[16] He was promoted to the active roster on November 19.[17]

Personal life

He is of Nigerian descent.[18]

References
  1. "Joel Iyiegbuniwe". Western Kentucky University Athletics. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  2. "South Warren LB/RB Joel Iyiegbuniwe verbally commits to WKU". Bowling Green Daily News. December 5, 2013. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  3. "TOPPER EXTRA: Iyiegbuniwe makes impact in breakout season". wkuherald.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  4. "Joel Iyiegbuniwe 2015 Player Statistics". cfbstats.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  5. "Joel Iyiegbuniwe 2016 Player Statistics". cfbstats.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  6. "FB: 2016 All-Conference Teams". Conference USA. December 6, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  7. "Joel Iyiegbuniwe 2017 Player Statistics". cfbstats.com. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  8. "FB: 2017 All-Conference Awards". Conference USA. December 5, 2017. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  9. "Western Kentucky's Joel Iyiegbuniwe declares early for draft". NBC Sports. January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  10. "Joel Iyiegbuniwe Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  11. "2018 Draft Scout Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Western Kentucky NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  12. "NFL Combine 2018: Full list of results, measurements from all positions". ninersnation.com. March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  13. Mayer, Larry (April 28, 2018). "Bears select Iyiegbuniwe in Round 4". ChicagoBears.com. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  14. Boyle, John (March 24, 2022). "Seahawks Sign LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe". Seahawks.com.
  15. Boyle, John (August 20, 2022). "Seahawks Release LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Waive Four Undrafted Rookies To Reduce Roster To 80". Seahawks.com.
  16. "Panthers add two players to practice squad on Tuesday". Panthers Wire. USA Today. November 1, 2022.
  17. Gantt, Darin (November 19, 2022). "Panthers activate Jeremy Chinn to 53-man roster". Panthers.com.
  18. Okupa, Francis (April 23, 2018). "Nigeria dominates Africa's 2018 NFL draftee list". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
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