John Daka
| 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 |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Undrafted: | 2020 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career NFL statistics | |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
John Daka (born December 7, 1997) is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. 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]
College career[edit]
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[edit]
Baltimore Ravens[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
On May 4, 2021, Daka was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.[7] He was waived on August 31, 2021.
Chicago Bears[edit]
On January 6, 2022, Daka was signed to the Chicago Bears' practice squad.
Houston Roughnecks[edit]
On November 17, 2022, Daka was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.[8] The Roughnecks brand was transferred to the Houston Gamblers when the XFL and USFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL).[9]
St. Louis Battlehawks[edit]
Daka was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the fourth round of the Super Draft portion of the 2024 UFL dispersal draft on January 15, 2024.[10] He signed with the team on January 23.[11] He was released on March 10, 2024.[12]
References[edit]
- ^ Neumann, Sam (January 14, 2021). "Jets sign NFL's first Zambian player to reserve/future contract". Jetswire.com. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ a b "Scouting Jets edge defender John Daka". Gang Green Nation.com. February 4, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c 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. November 18, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ Seifert, Kevin (January 1, 2024). "Newly formed United Football League sets 8 markets, tabs coaches". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ Rachuk, Stephen (January 15, 2024). "2024 United Football League (UFL) Super Draft Tracker". PFNewsroom.com. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "The UFL Agrees to Terms with 20 Players". UFLBoard.com. January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ "UFL Teams Set their Training Camp Rosters to 58". UFLBoard.com. March 10, 2024. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
Further reading[edit]
- 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.