Duke Ihenacho

Duke Uba Ihenacho (born June 26, 1989) is an American football safety currently on the practice squad of the National Football League team Denver Broncos. He played college football at San Jose State.

Early life
Born in Torrance, California, Ihenacho grew up in Carson, California and graduated from Junípero Serra High School at Gardena in 2007. He is of Nigerian descent. Although Ihenacho's mother did not allow Duke Ihenacho to play Pop Warner football, Duke Ihenacho joined the Serra High School football team in junior year after playing basketball and baseball most of his childhood.

College career
At San Jose State University, Ihenacho played five seasons with the Spartans football team under coaches Dick Tomey (2007 to 2009) and Mike MacIntyre (2010 to 2011) and majored in business marketing. Ihenacho played on the team with his older brother Carl Ihenacho until 2009.

Ihenacho entered the Spartans in 2007 as the youngest player on the team and ended the year with 32 tackles, the most for a San Jose State freshman since 2004. On September 29, Ihenacho made the only blocked punt in a win against UC Davis. Following the blocked punt, quarterback Adam Tafralis made a 47-yard touchdown pass. Ihenacho made a season-high seven tackles on October 12 against Hawaii and forced a fumble in that game as well. San Jose State ended 2007 with a 5-7 record (4-4 in Western Athletic Conference games).

In 2008, ESPN ranked Carl and Duke Ihenacho as one of the top ten brother combinations in college football for being among the top defensive players in FBS football. By mid-October 2008, Duke led the FBS in interceptions. In both the October 11 game against Utah State and October 18 game against New Mexico State, Ihenacho scored a 43-yard touchdown off an interception. Ihenacho's two interceptions in the Utah State game marked the only such time in the 2008 season. Ihenacho played as a linebacker in 2008 and was a first-team All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) selection. San Jose State finished 2008 one game up from 2007, 6-6 (but still 4-4 in WAC).

However, San Jose State finished the 2009 season 2-10 (1-7 WAC). In 2009, Ihenacho made 89 tackles, the second-most in the team that year, and tied his individual game high of 12 on October 10 against Idaho and November 21 against Hawaii. San Jose State football coach Dick Tomey retired after 2009, and Mike MacIntyre became the new head coach. In MacIntyre's first season, the Spartans finished 1-11 (0-8 WAC). Ihenacho played only in two games of 2010 before a season-ending injury.

2011 was a better season for the San Jose State Spartans, who finished 5-7 (3-4 WAC). Ihenacho made 73 tackles in 2011, the third-most in the team, and led the team in deflected passes with six. Ihenacho made his third career touchdown on October 1 with a 20-yard fumble return against Colorado State. That was also the first fumble returned for a touchdown by a San Jose State player since 2004. In four games, Ihenacho made 10 or more tackles, including a season high 11 each against Idaho and Utah State.

On October 14, 2011, San Jose State rallied in its homecoming game to beat Hawaii 28-27. ESPN carried that game as part of College Football Friday Primetime. With San Jose State down 27-20 in the fourth quarter, Ihenacho recovered a blocked point after touchdown and took the ball to the end zone for a defensive two-point conversion. San Jose State won despite five turnovers. Geico nominated Ihenacho's conversion as the company's Play of the Year.

Ihenacho earned his third first-team All-WAC selection in 2011.

Pre-draft
Ihenacho was considered one of the top strong safeties and a projected 5th round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Denver Broncos
Ihenacho signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent following the 2012 NFL Draft. Ihenacho played all four games of the 2012 preseason and made seven tackles during the preseason.

The Broncos signed Ihenacho to the practice squad on September 1 and activated Ihenacho from the practice squad on September 29, 2012. On October 11, 2012, The Broncos cut Duke Ihenacho. They later signed him back to the practice squad on October 13 and to the active roster again on November 1. Ihenacho made one assisted tackle in his second game of the season, November 4 (Week 9) in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals. On November 13, 2012, he was waived by the Broncos. Three days later, the Broncos re-signed Ihenacho to the practice squad.