Ikem Ekwonu

Nationality

United States

Born

2000-10-31

Height

6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Weight

335 lb (152 kg)

Number

#79

Ikemefuna Patrick "Ickey" Ekwonu (born October 31, 2000) is an American professional football offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Of Nigerian descent, he played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, earning unanimous All-American honors and winning the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocker in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2021. Ekwonu was selected sixth overall by the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 NFL draft. Early life Ekwonu grew up in the Charlotte suburb of Matthews, North Carolina, and attended Providence Day School, where he excelled in football while playing both offensive and defensive line. A 3-star offensive guard recruit, Ekwonu committed to play college football at NC State over offers from Appalachian State, Charlotte, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Maryland, North Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Toledo, Vanderbilt, Virginia, and West Virginia.