Ikemefuna Patrick “Ickey” Ekwonu plays offensive lineman for the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers (NFL). The Carolina Panthers selected Ekwonu with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

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Ekwonu attended Providence Day School while growing up in the Matthews, North Carolina, area. Despite receiving offers from Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, Ekwonu chose to play college football at North Carolina State.

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After receiving first-team all-state recognition at Providence Day School in Charlotte, Ikem Ekwonu committed with N.C. State. As a true freshman, he started the Wolfpack’s final seven games at left tackle and was named the team’s Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year. In 2020, Ekwonu made all 12 starts, spending the first four at left guard and the final eight at left tackle to earn third-team All-ACC honours from conference coaches. He started all 12 of the games at left tackle in 2021, earning first-team Associated Press All-American and all-conference recognition. He was also selected as an Outland Trophy finalist. 

At this year’s NFL scouting combine, Ikem Ekwonu was one of 12 offensive linemen to run the 40-yard dash in under five seconds. Ekwonu’s timing was 4.93 seconds.

Pro Football Focus and Sporting News each gave Ekwonu their preseason All-ACC and preseason All-American honours ahead of the 2021 season. He received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for being the top blocker in the ACC and was selected as an undisputed All-American.

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Ekwonu agreed to a four-year, $27.6 million contract with the Panthers on May 11, 2022. It included a $17.2 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option. Osita, Ikem’s fraternal twin, plays linebacker for Notre Dame. Trent Williams, a 2021 All-Pro for the 49ers who clocked a 4.81 40-yard sprint at the 2010 combine, is Ekwonu’s favourite NFL player. Because of the way he looked like former Cincinnati RB Ickey Woods, his former youth football coach gave him the moniker “Ickey.”