Ebenezer Ekuban

Infobox NFLactive

---

currentteam=Denver Broncos
currentnumber=91
currentposition=Defensive end
birthdate=birth date and age|1976|5|29
birthplace=Accra, Ghana
heightft=6
heightin=4
weight=275
debutyear=1999
debutteam=Dallas Cowboys
college=North Carolina
draftyear=1999
draftround=1
draftpick=20
pastteams=
* Dallas Cowboys (1999-2003)
* Cleveland Browns (2004)
* Denver Broncos (2005-present)
status=Active
statweek=17
statseason=2007
statlabel1=Tackles
statvalue1=186
statlabel2=Sacks
statvalue2=31.5
statlabel3=INTs
statvalue3=3
nfl=EKU088990

Ebenezer Ekuban, Jr. (born May 29, 1976 in Accra, Ghana) is an American football defensive end for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Cowboys 20th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina.

Early years

Ekuban started playing football his junior year of high school as a tight end and defensive lineman for Bladenburg High School in Bladensburg, Maryland. Ebenezer, a high school honor student, soon became a standout player due to his size, strength, speed, and intelligence, which led to a scholarship from the University of North Carolina.

Professional career

Ekuban was a first-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1999 NFL draft. He later joined Cleveland as a free agent in 2004.

He is currently a defensive end with the Denver Broncos, who acquired him, along with defensive lineman Michael Myers, in 2005 in a trade with the Cleveland Browns for running back Reuben Droughns. Along with the team coincidentally signing Courtney Brown as well as acquiring Gerard Warren in a separate trade with Cleveland, the media referred to the Broncos defensive line as the "Browncos", since all four of their starters were with the Browns the year before.

Ekuban missed the entire 2007 season due to tearing his right Achilles' tendon in a Broncos' preseason game against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=270818006 ESPN - Cowboys 31, Broncos 20 - NFL Football Recap ] ]

Broncos resigned Ekuban to a one-year, $1.12 million contract and will battle teammates Jarvis Moss and John Engelberger for the starting job at left end. As of the 2008 season, Ekuban is the last remaining "Brownco" with the team, as Gerard Warren was traded to the rival Oakland Raiders the year before and Courtney Brown and Michael Myers are now out of football.

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=4193 Detailed biography]