Valerian Ume-Ezeoke
American football player and coach (born 1993)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Valerian Ume-Ezeoke // ⓘ (born February 14, 1993) is an American former football center. He is now a graduate assistant for the UMass Minutemen football program. He played college football at New Mexico State University.
Garland, Texas
Valerian Ume-Ezeoke (63) during Atlanta Falcons Mini-Camp | |
| Boise State Broncos | |
|---|---|
| Title | Graduate assistant |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 14, 1993 Garland, Texas |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 295 lb (134 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Garland (TX) Lakeview Centennial |
| College | New Mexico State |
| NFL draft | 2015: undrafted |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
Coaching | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Early life
Born the son of Anthony and Tina Ume-Ezeoke, Valerian attended Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas, where he was a member of the Patriots football team. Ume-Ezeoke played both offensive and defensive line for the Patriots, earning an All-State as a sophomore and junior.[1]
Recruiting
Ume-Ezeoke committed to New Mexico State University on September 2, 2010. He choose New Mexico State over football scholarships from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado State University, and Tennessee State University.[2]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valerian Ume-Ezeoke C |
Garland, Texas | Lakeview Centennial High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 267 lb (121 kg) | –- | Sep 2, 2010 |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 36 (C) Rivals: –- (C), –- (TX) | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
Ume-Ezeoke came in played in 8 games as a true freshman, starting six of those games. As a sophomore, Ume-Ezeoke started all 12 games for the Aggies. Ume-Ezeoke was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list as a junior, again starting all 12 games for the Aggies. As a senior in 2014, Ume-Ezeoke was once again added to the Rimington Tropher watch list[3] and earned All-Sun Belt Conference First Team as an offensive lineman.[4]
Professional career
Prior to the 2015 NFL draft, Ume-Ezeoke was projected to be undrafted by NFLDraftScout.com. He was rated as the twentieth-best center in the draft.[5]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 302 lb (137 kg) | 32.12 in (0.82 m) | 5.45 s | 1.75 s | 3.10 s | 4.82 s | 8.15 s | 30 in (0.76 m) | 8 ft 10 in (2.69 m) | 25 reps | ||
| All values from 2015 Pro Day Results[5][6] | ||||||||||||
Atlanta Falcons
On May 6, 2015, Ume-Ezeoke signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons.[7] Ume-Ezeoke was cut during the first round of Falcons' cuts on August 30, 2015.[8]
Arizona Cardinals
On January 5, 2016, Ume-Ezeoke was signed by the Arizona Cardinals to a future/reserve contract.[9] On May 4, 2016, he was cut by the Cardinals.[10]
Pittsburgh Steelers
On August 1, 2016, Ume-Ezeoke signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[11] On August 20, 2016, the Steelers waived/injured Ume-Ezeoke and was placed on injured reserve.[12]