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/ FootballEligwe Taken By Kansas City Chiefs
4/29/2017 5:11:00 PM | Football
Former GS linebacker selected in fifth round of NFL Draft
STATESBORO - Former Georgia Southern linebacker Ukeme Eligwe was selected Saturday on the final day of the 2017 NFL Draft. Eligwe, a native of Stone Mountain, Georgia, went in the fifth round to the Kansas City Chiefs, who took him with the 183rd overall pick.
Eligwe was an All-Sun Belt honorable mention and All-Newcomer Team selection this past season. In his lone year with the Eagles, he started and played in 10 games, leading the team in tackles with 104. Eligwe had a team-high 11 tackles for a loss also led the team with three forced fumbles. The linebacker won a national title with Florida State in 2014 before transferring to Georgia Southern.
"I'm excited for the opportunity Ukeme has and I think he's going to be a great fit for the Kansas City Chiefs," said head coach Tyson Summers. "He worked extremely hard here at Georgia Southern since he got here and I have great confidence that he will wind up being a great professional player."
Eligwe becomes the 13th Georgia Southern football player ever taken in the NFL Draft and the second linebacker in program history to be selected, coming in consecutive years. The last players to be drafted out of Georgia Southern were linebacker Antwione Williams (5th Round; Detroit) last year and Jerick McKinnon (3rd Round; Minnesota) and Lavelle Westbrooks (7th Round; Cincinnati) in 2014.
Eligwe joins two other Georgia Southern linebackers currently playing in the NFL, Edwin Jackson (Colts) and Williams (Lions).
Eligwe is the second GS player to be chosen by the Chiefs in the NFL Draft, joining Ernest Thompson who was taken by Kansas City in the 1990 draft.
Georgia Southern in the NFL Draft
Year: Player (Pos., Round Pick, Overall, Team)
2017: Ukeme Eligwe (LB, 5, 40, 183, Kansas City Chiefs)
2016: Antwione Williams (LB, 5, 32, 169, Detroit Lions)
2014: Jerick McKinnon (RB, 3, 32, 96, Minnesota Vikings)
2014: Lavelle Westbrooks (CB, 7, 37, 252, Cincinnati Bengals)
2013: J.J. Wilcox (S, 3, 18, 80, Dallas Cowboys)
2003: David Young (SS, 6, 6, 179, Jacksonville Jaguars)
2002: Adrian Peterson (RB, 6, 27, 199, Chicago Bears)
2000: Kiwaukee Thomas (CB, 5, 30, 159, Jacksonville Jaguars)
1990: Ernest Thompson (RB, 11, 15, 291, Kansas City Chiefs)
1989: Terry Young (DB, 12, 22, 329, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
1988: Tim Foley (PK, 10, 26, 275, San Francisco 49ers)
1987: Tracy Ham (RB, 9, 17, 240, Los Angeles Rams)
1987: Fred Stokes (DE, 12, 25, 332, Los Angeles Rams)
Eligwe was an All-Sun Belt honorable mention and All-Newcomer Team selection this past season. In his lone year with the Eagles, he started and played in 10 games, leading the team in tackles with 104. Eligwe had a team-high 11 tackles for a loss also led the team with three forced fumbles. The linebacker won a national title with Florida State in 2014 before transferring to Georgia Southern.
"I'm excited for the opportunity Ukeme has and I think he's going to be a great fit for the Kansas City Chiefs," said head coach Tyson Summers. "He worked extremely hard here at Georgia Southern since he got here and I have great confidence that he will wind up being a great professional player."
Eligwe becomes the 13th Georgia Southern football player ever taken in the NFL Draft and the second linebacker in program history to be selected, coming in consecutive years. The last players to be drafted out of Georgia Southern were linebacker Antwione Williams (5th Round; Detroit) last year and Jerick McKinnon (3rd Round; Minnesota) and Lavelle Westbrooks (7th Round; Cincinnati) in 2014.
Eligwe joins two other Georgia Southern linebackers currently playing in the NFL, Edwin Jackson (Colts) and Williams (Lions).
Eligwe is the second GS player to be chosen by the Chiefs in the NFL Draft, joining Ernest Thompson who was taken by Kansas City in the 1990 draft.
Georgia Southern in the NFL Draft
Year: Player (Pos., Round Pick, Overall, Team)
2017: Ukeme Eligwe (LB, 5, 40, 183, Kansas City Chiefs)
2016: Antwione Williams (LB, 5, 32, 169, Detroit Lions)
2014: Jerick McKinnon (RB, 3, 32, 96, Minnesota Vikings)
2014: Lavelle Westbrooks (CB, 7, 37, 252, Cincinnati Bengals)
2013: J.J. Wilcox (S, 3, 18, 80, Dallas Cowboys)
2003: David Young (SS, 6, 6, 179, Jacksonville Jaguars)
2002: Adrian Peterson (RB, 6, 27, 199, Chicago Bears)
2000: Kiwaukee Thomas (CB, 5, 30, 159, Jacksonville Jaguars)
1990: Ernest Thompson (RB, 11, 15, 291, Kansas City Chiefs)
1989: Terry Young (DB, 12, 22, 329, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
1988: Tim Foley (PK, 10, 26, 275, San Francisco 49ers)
1987: Tracy Ham (RB, 9, 17, 240, Los Angeles Rams)
1987: Fred Stokes (DE, 12, 25, 332, Los Angeles Rams)
And in the 5th round, the @Chiefs select Ukeme Eligwe! pic.twitter.com/7PKWgR91lV
— GS Football (@GSAthletics_FB) April 29, 2017
Here's what @espn had to say about Ukeme Eligwe. Congrats to @CoachBastien on his first #NFLDraft pick. #OneYearOneSelection pic.twitter.com/B0AtIFnezx
— GS Football (@GSAthletics_FB) April 29, 2017
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