John Daka
John Daka (born December 7, 1997) is an American football linebacker for the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL. He played college football at James Madison University. He was the first player of Zambian descent to sign with a National Football League team.[1]
| No. 45 – Houston Roughnecks | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 7, 1997 Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School |
| College: | James Madison |
| Undrafted: | 2020 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
College career
Daka enrolled at James Madison University despite interest from FBS schools and got off to a slow start to his career with 23 tackles and one sack over his first two seasons.[2] He led the Football Championship Subdivision with 16.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in the 2019 season[3] and was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association first-team.[2] He played in 51 games for the Dukes, totaling 137 tackles, 47.5 tackles for losses, 27.5 sacks, four pass defenses, six forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.[3]
Professional career
Baltimore Ravens
Daka was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2020.[4] He was waived during final roster cuts on August 31, 2020.[5]
New York Jets
On January 12, 2021, Daka signed a reserve/future contract with the New York Jets.[3] He was waived on May 3, 2021.[6]
Los Angeles Rams
On May 4, 2021, Daka was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.[7] He was waived on August 31, 2021.
Chicago Bears
On January 6, 2022, Daka was signed to the Chicago Bears practice squad.
Houston Roughnecks
On November 17, 2022, Daka was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.[8]
References
- Neumann, Sam (January 14, 2021). "Jets sign NFL's first Zambian player to reserve/future contract". Jetswire.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- "Scouting Jets edge defender John Daka". Gang Green Nation.com. 4 February 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- Greenberg, Ethan (January 12, 2021). "Jets Sign OLB John Daka to Reserve/Future Contract". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
- Valente, Tom (May 6, 2020). "Press Release: Ravens Sign Three Draft Picks, Four Rookie Free Agents". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- Mink, Ryan (August 31, 2020). "Ravens Waive Three Players, Place One on IR as Roster Trimming Begins". BaltimoreRavens.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- Greenberg, Ethan (May 3, 2021). "Jets Release DE John Daka". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- DaSilva, Cameron (May 4, 2021). "Rams claimed OLB John Daka off waivers from Jets". USAToday.com. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
- "Rosters for all eight XFL teams: Full draft results and where Vic Beasley, Martavis Bryant landed". ESPN.com. 2022-11-18. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
Further reading
- Wang, Gene (December 21, 2019). "JMU pass rusher could win it all after nearly walking away". Daily Press. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- Shaffer, Jonas (May 25, 2020). "From Zambia to the NFL: How family and football helped Ravens rookie John Daka find his way". BaltimoreSun.com. Retrieved May 3, 2021.