Ebenezer Ekuban

Ebenezer Ekuban, Jr. (born May 29, 1976) is a retired American football defensive end. 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 Bladensburg 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.

While at North Carolina, Tar Heel head coach Mack Brown (now Head coach at the University of Texas) moved Ekuban from tight end to defensive end.

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.

In 2005, Ekuban was acquired by the Denver Broncos, 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.

Broncos re-signed Ekuban to a one-year, 3.12 million contract and to battle teammates Jarvis Moss and John Engelberger for the starting job at left end. As of the 2008 season, Ekuban was 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. Ekuban finished the season with 5 sacks and 38 tackles in 10 starts.

New Broncos coach Josh McDaniels and new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan are changing the Broncos base defense to a 3-4 alignment, so they decided not to resign Ekuban since he is not big enough to be a 3-4 defensive end, but not fast enough to be a 3-4 outside linebacker. In March 2009, Ekuban reportedly visited with the Oakland Raiders and as a potential replacement for Kalimba Edwards as a situational pass rusher off the bench. However, as of September 19, 2009 he was still unsigned.

In the Fall 2010, Ekuban assisted the football staff at Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Colorado as an Assistant Coach.

Ekuban currently assists the Denver Broncos Football Club as an assistant in their Player Development Department.

Trivia
Ekuban has been said to have "the perfect name for an evil wizard" by BioWare video game writer Brad Prince.