The Montreal Alouettes announced on Thursday that the club has signed national defensive lineman Faith Ekakitie to a one-year deal.
Ekakitie (6’3″, 290 lbs.) was made the first pick overall in 2017 CFL Canadian Draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The former Iowa University Hawkeye then went on to play 14 games with Winnipeg that year, making five defensive tackles in his first professional season.
The 25-year-old played 34 games with the Hawkeyes, collecting 54 tackles, 10 tackles for losses and 0,5 sacks, while recovering one fumble. The Brampton, ON native helped the Hawkeyes reach the Rose Bowl during his senior year, when his team faced the Stanford University Cardinal on New Year’s Day 2016.
Ekakitie took part in the 2018 Blue Bombers training camp. In Montreal, he is reunited with quarterback Drew Willy, against who the Bombers acquired the 2017 first overall pick.
