At first glance, Ataefiok Etukeren could be any MSB senior. He still does not know where he will be working after graduation, but he is confident he can land a job at one of the billion-dollar businesses where he has been interviewing.
But Etukeren isn’t a typical MSB senior. He’s 6’3”, 245 pounds, and can run 40 yards in under 4.7 seconds. And his potential employers aren’t banks—they’re NFL teams.
Coming to Georgetown from Arizona by way of the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey, Etukeren did not foresee his current career prospects. He didn’t start playing football until his freshman year of high school, and while he attracted scholarship offers, it wasn’t until he arrived at Georgetown that he understood how far his talents could take him.
“My freshman year there was a guy named Michael Ononibaku. When I first came in as a freshman, I saw him and he had a shot at the pros, and he was training and whatnot and I’m like, ‘this looks pretty cool,’” Etukeren said. “And when I was in the weight room, [strength and conditioning coach] Augie [Morelli] said, ‘You know your numbers are pretty good, keep on working hard and maybe we’ll do the same thing too.’”
Etukeren’s work in the weight room paid off on the field, as he went on to an illustrious career as a defensive end for the Hoyas. A three-year starter, Etukeren amassed 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss in his senior season, good enough to earn second team All-Patriot League honors.
If Etukeren hopes to reach the next level, he is going to need to adapt to a new primary position. His size places him as an outside linebacker in most pro schemes, an adjustment that shouldn’t be too hard considering he would occasionally drop back to fit the Hoyas’ needs.
“I think he’s the prototype. He’s got the size, he’s got the speed, he’s got the athletic ability to either rush the passer or play in space as a drop linebacker,” Georgetown head coach Kevin Kelly said. “I think they see all those qualities in him that would make him a good outside linebacker in the NFL.”
The people around Etukeren are convinced of his pro potential, but it takes more than their testimony to impress NFL personnel. Etukeren has tried to do just that since late in his junior year, when he first learned of NFL interest from Georgetown linebackers coach Luke Thompson. When practice started up this season, the scouts were there to evaluate him, but Etukeren’s big opportunity came after the season, when he earned an invite to play in the Texas vs. Nation All-Star Challenge with all 32 NFL teams watching.
“The first day going down there, obviously you’re going to be a little nervous,” Etukeren said.
“Me, coming from a small Division 1-AA school with not one of the best records in our conference or league, and going to play these D1-A guys.”
But he held his own in El Paso, impressing scouts with the way he competed with larger, more athletic players. The inquiries kept on coming, and Etukeren was presented with more opportunities to show off for teams. The Rams came to see him, and he got more national exposure by working out at Arizona State’s pro day. And, of course, he’s still hitting the gym with Morelli.
If he makes an NFL team, Etukeren will follow in the footsteps of former teammate Alex Buzbee, who joined the Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007. It would be quite an accomplishment for Georgetown to put two players in the NFL in two years after going over 50 years without producing a pro. The added exposure would certainly improve the image of a football program that has won just five games in its past three seasons.
“The thing in recruiting now, I guess the theme would be that you can do almost anything you want to do coming to Georgetown,” Kelly says. “You can get a terrific degree, and if you’re good enough to play in the NFL, they’ll find you.”
Right now, the symbolic meaning of an NFL roster spot doesn’t concern Etukeren. He just wants to get the job, and he knows it is going to be tough. NFLDraftScout.com has him ranked as the 580th overall prospect this year. There are 256 picks in the draft. Needless to say, Etukeren won’t be waiting in front of the television on draft day.
Luckily, Etukeren’s career prospects outside of football are just as promising. He was named to Patriot League Academic Honor Roll three straight years, and will graduate with a double major in marketing and operations management.
But he’s not ready to enter the business world just yet. Even if April 26 comes and his name isn’t called, Etukeren has heard that he has a very good chance of getting a training camp invite. From there, his football future is in his own hands.
“I think if I get into a camp, I’m going to work very hard—work my ass off pretty much—to stay in the camp and to make the team as an undrafted free agent, practice squad, or active roster,” Etukeren said. “I think if I’m in the camp I’m going to stay there.”
