Quick Facts
Biography
Valerian Ume-Ezeoke (born February 14, 1993) is an American football center for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Ume-Ezeoke played college football at New Mexico State University.
Early life
Born the son of Anthony and Tina Ume-Ezeoke, Valerian attended Lakeview Centennial High School in Garland, Texas, where he was a member of the Patriots football team. Ume-Ezeoke played both offensive and defensive line for the Patriots, earning an All-State as a sophomore and junior.
Recruiting
Ume-Ezeoke committed to New Mexico State University on September 2, 2010. He choose New Mexico State over football scholarships from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado State University, and Tennessee State University.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valerian Ume-Ezeoke C | Garland, Texas | Lakeview Centennial High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 267 lb (121 kg) | –- | Sep 2, 2010 |
Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 36 (C) Rivals: –- (C), –- (TX) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Ume-Ezeoke came in played in 8 games as a true freshman, starting six of those games. As a sophomore, Ume-Ezeoke started all 12 games for the Aggies. Ume-Ezeoke was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list as a junior, again starting all 12 games for the Aggies. As a senior in 2014, Ume-Ezeoke was once again added to the Rimington Tropher watch list and earned All-Sun Belt Conference First Team as an offensive lineman.
Professional career
Prior to the 2015 NFL Draft, Ume-Ezeoke was projected to be undrafted by NFLDraftScout.com. He was rated as the twentieth-best center in the draft.
| Ht | Wt | Arm length | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in | 302 lb | 32.12 in | 5.45 s | 1.75 s | 3.10 s | 4.82 s | 8.15 s | 30 in | 8 ft 10 in | 25 reps | |||||||||
| All values from 2015 Pro Day Results | |||||||||||||||||||
Atlanta Falcons
On May 6, 2015, Ume-Ezeoke signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. Ume-Ezeoke was cut during the first round of Falcons' cuts on August 30, 2015.
Arizona Cardinals
On January 5, 2016, Ume-Ezeoke was signed by the Arizona Cardinals to a future/reserve contract. On May 4, 2016, he was cut by the Cardinals.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On August 1, 2016, Ume-Ezeoke signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. On August 20, 2016 the Steelers waived Ume-Ezeoke. On August 22, 2016, Ume-Ezeoke was placed on injured reserve after clearing waivers.