Austin Ekeler facts for kids
Ekeler in 2024
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| No. 30 – Washington Commanders | |||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | May 17, 1995 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Eaton (Eaton, Colorado) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Western Colorado (2013–2016) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2017 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Austin Ekeler (born May 17, 1995) is an American professional football player. He is a running back and return specialist for the Washington Commanders in the National Football League (NFL).
Before joining the NFL, Ekeler played college football for the Western Colorado Mountaineers. He became their all-time leader in rushing yards. In 2017, he signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent. With the Chargers, Ekeler led the NFL in touchdowns for both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
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Early Life and High School Football
Austin Ekeler was born on May 17, 1995, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He grew up in Eaton, Colorado, and went to Eaton High School. There, he played high school football for the Fightin' Reds.
Even though he was small as a freshman, Ekeler quickly became a star. He ran for 454 yards and scored 8 touchdowns in his first year. By the end of his high school career, he had an amazing 5,232 rushing yards and 71 touchdowns. He also gained 581 receiving yards and scored 10 receiving touchdowns.
Despite his great performance, many big colleges didn't show much interest in him. Only a few smaller schools offered him scholarships. Western Colorado was the only school that wanted him to play his favorite position, tailback.
College Career at Western Colorado
Ekeler played college football at Western Colorado from 2013 to 2016. He became the school's all-time leader in rushing yards, which means he ran for more yards than any other player in their history.
As a freshman, he led his team with 1,049 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. In his sophomore year, he set new school records with 1,676 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had 2,093 total yards from scrimmage. During his junior year, he led Division II in total yards per game and scoring. He finished his senior year with 1,495 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Below are Austin Ekeler's college statistics:
| Year | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2013 | 9 | 182 | 1,049 | 5.8 | 71 | 7 | 27 | 260 | 5.9 | 28 | 1 |
| 2014 | 11 | 298 | 1,676 | 5.6 | 82 | 14 | 38 | 417 | 10.9 | 47 | 2 |
| 2015 | 10 | 227 | 1,637 | 7.2 | 83 | 19 | 32 | 402 | 12.5 | 85 | 2 |
| 2016 | 10 | 232 | 1,495 | 6.4 | 88 | 15 | 18 | 236 | 13.1 | 48 | 3 |
| Career | 40 | 939 | 5,857 | 6.2 | 88 | 55 | 115 | 1,315 | 11.4 | 85 | 8 |
Professional Career
Los Angeles Chargers
Austin Ekeler joined the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017. He signed a three-year contract after not being chosen in the NFL Draft. This is known as being an undrafted free agent.
2017 Season
In his first NFL game, Ekeler caught two passes for 18 yards. In Week 4, he scored his first career touchdown with a 35-yard run. Later that season, he had a great game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, scoring two touchdowns. He finished his rookie year with 260 rushing yards and 279 receiving yards.
2018 Season
Ekeler continued to show his skills in 2018. He scored receiving touchdowns in several games. He faced a neck injury that made him miss two games. However, he returned for the last game of the season and scored a rushing touchdown. He ended the year with 554 rushing yards and 404 receiving yards. The Chargers made it to the playoffs that year.
2019 Season
Ekeler started the 2019 season as the main running back. In Week 1, he scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime. He also had two receiving touchdowns in that game. He had another strong game in Week 14 against the Jaguars. He ran for 101 yards and caught passes for 112 yards, scoring a touchdown. This made him one of only a few players ever to have over 100 rushing yards and 100 receiving yards in a game. He finished the season with 557 rushing yards and 993 receiving yards. He also scored 11 total touchdowns.
2020 Season
In March 2020, Ekeler signed a new four-year contract with the Chargers. He had a strong start to the season, but then he got injured in Week 4. He missed several weeks due to a hamstring injury and a knee issue. He returned later in the season and continued to be a key player for the Chargers. He ended the 2020 season with 530 rushing yards and 403 receiving yards.
2021 Season
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The 2021 season was a huge year for Austin Ekeler. He had several games where he scored multiple touchdowns. In Week 4, he had over 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In Week 11, he scored two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns in one game.
He finished the season with 911 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He also had 647 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. His 20 total touchdowns tied a Chargers franchise record. He was tied for the most touchdowns in the entire NFL that year. Other players in the league ranked him as one of the top 100 players.
2022 Season
Ekeler continued his amazing performance in 2022. In Week 4, he scored two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown. In Week 5, he ran for 173 yards and scored two touchdowns. He also had a rushing and receiving touchdown in Week 7 and Week 9.
He finished the 2022 season leading the entire league with 18 total touchdowns. He had 915 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 107 passes for 722 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He is one of only two players in NFL history to have 10+ rushing touchdowns and 5+ receiving touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
2023 Season
In the first game of the 2023 season, Ekeler had 164 total yards and a rushing touchdown. He scored two rushing touchdowns in a win over the Jets in Week 9. He played in 14 games this season, finishing with 628 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He also had 436 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
Washington Commanders
In March 2024, Austin Ekeler signed a two-year contract with the Washington Commanders. He suffered a concussion in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals and missed the next game. Later in the season, he had another concussion and was placed on injured reserve. He returned for the final game of the season.
NFL Career Statistics
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | LAC | 16 | 0 | 47 | 260 | 5.5 | 35T | 2 | 27 | 279 | 10.3 | 38 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | LAC | 14 | 3 | 106 | 554 | 5.2 | 41 | 3 | 39 | 404 | 10.4 | 44 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | LAC | 16 | 8 | 132 | 557 | 4.2 | 35 | 3 | 92 | 993 | 10.8 | 84 | 8 | 3 | 2 |
| 2020 | LAC | 10 | 10 | 116 | 530 | 4.6 | 27 | 1 | 54 | 403 | 7.5 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | LAC | 16 | 16 | 206 | 911 | 4.4 | 28 | 12 | 70 | 647 | 9.2 | 40 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
| 2022 | LAC | 17 | 17 | 204 | 915 | 4.5 | 72 | 13 | 107 | 722 | 6.7 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| 2023 | LAC | 14 | 14 | 179 | 628 | 3.5 | 55 | 5 | 51 | 436 | 8.5 | 39 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 2024 | WAS | 11 | 6 | 74 | 355 | 4.8 | 50 | 4 | 33 | 346 | 10.5 | 34 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career | 114 | 74 | 1,064 | 4,710 | 4.4 | 72 | 43 | 473 | 3,884 | 8.9 | 84 | 30 | 24 | 15 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2018 | LAC | 2 | 0 | 11 | 29 | 2.6 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 33 | 4.7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | LAC | 1 | 1 | 13 | 35 | 2.7 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 3 | 1 | 24 | 64 | 2.7 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 41 | 4.6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Records and Achievements
Austin Ekeler has achieved some impressive records in the NFL:
- He is one of only four players in 15 years to score at least 15 touchdowns in two seasons in a row.
- Along with Marshall Faulk, Ekeler is one of only two players in NFL history to have 10 or more rushing touchdowns and five or more receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
- He is one of only two undrafted players in NFL history, along with Priest Holmes, to have over 1,500 total yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
- He holds the record for the most catches by a running back in a single season in Chargers history.
Personal Life
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Austin Ekeler's younger brother, Wyett Ekeler, also played football at the University of Wyoming. His mother, Suzanne Ekeler, played college basketball.
In 2021, Austin Ekeler started the Austin Ekeler Foundation. Its goal is to help people find opportunities to follow their dreams and improve their lives. In the same year, he created the Gridiron Gaming Group. This group helps sports stars connect with fans by playing video games online and livestreaming.
Austin Ekeler married Melanie Wilking on May 25, 2024.
Images for kids
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Austin Ekeler in 2024
