Ezekiel Ansah
A Ghanaian track athlete who, with barely any football experience, became a top-five NFL draft pick and a Pro Bowl pass rusher.
Born 1989 (age 37)·Ghanaian-born American football player·Birthday: May 29·Millennials
Biography
Ezekiel 'Ziggy' Ansah's path to the National Football League reads like a sports fantasy. Born in Accra, he came to the United States on an academic visa to study at Brigham Young University, aiming for a career in medicine or engineering. Standing 6'5" with a sprinter's physique, he walked onto the BYU track team. On a whim, and with relentless encouragement from friends, he tried out for football at age 22, having never seen a game. Coaches were stunned by his raw physical tools. In just three years, he transformed from a novice into a destructive defensive end, amassing 4.5 sacks in his final college season. The Detroit Lions, seeing unparalleled potential, selected him fifth overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. His rookie season confirmed the hype, and by his third year, he was a Pro Bowler with 14.5 sacks, a testament to one of the most improbable and rapid ascents in modern sports.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Ezekiel was born in 1989, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ezekiel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1989
#1 Movie
Batman
Best Picture
Driving Miss Daisy
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Ezekiel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1989Born
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1994Started school
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2002Became a teenager
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Could drive
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2007Could vote
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Turned 21
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2019Turned 30
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 37 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Selected 5th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2013 NFL Draft despite having only three years of football experience.
- Named to the Pro Bowl in 2015 after recording a career-high 14.5 sacks.
- Recorded 3 sacks in a single game twice during the 2015 season.
- Earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in 2013.
Did You Know?
He did not play or watch American football until he was 22 years old.
Ansah was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served a two-year mission in Ghana.
He competed in track and field at BYU, posting personal bests of 10.91 seconds in the 100m and 21.89 seconds in the 200m.
During his NFL draft combine interview with the Lions, he famously diagrammed a play incorrectly, highlighting his rawness.
“I just go out there and play hard. I don't know how to play any other way.”
