University of Northern Colorado Athletics
11/12/2026 2:40:00 PM | Football
GREELEY, Colo. – Ezra Ekuban has one game left at Nottingham Field, and he spent most of this season making peace with the fact that he nearly didn't play it.
The fifth-year defensive end from Parker, Colo. considered walking away before the year began. Injuries had stacked up through the offseason, and the weight of another fall of rehab made stepping aside a real option.
"I was dealing with some injuries in the offseason, and then partially considered not even playing my last year just because of that," Ekuban said. "My mindset was just, I just want to finish out stuff the right way. I don't want to leave in the middle of the season. That would leave a bad impression of me on any of my teammates or coaches."
What tipped it was simpler than any of that. He had been at Northern Colorado for four years. He did not want to be remembered as the guy who left.
"I didn't want my teammates to ever remember me as someone who just quit on them," he said. "It's just the right thing to do to finish."
Production When Healthy
Ekuban's numbers this fall have been limited by the time he has missed, not by his impact when he is on the field. In seven games he has 18 tackles, eight of them for loss, with three sacks. He was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, and he earned All-NFFCC recognition in 2025 after posting 37 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Across 27 games in a Northern Colorado uniform, his career line reads 73 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
He returned from injury at Southern Utah last Saturday and changed the front immediately. The Bears held a Southern Utah backfield that head coach Ed Lamb had called the best tandem in the country to roughly 65 yards apiece on the ground, and
Lamb pointed to Ekuban's disruption at the end spot as part of the reason.
"I think we just did a good job up front knocking back the line of scrimmage," Ekuban said. "And then our backers, as well as our secondary players, did a good job filling in when the ball spilled off the table. Group tackling efforts. I think that's what really played a role in stopping the run."
Lamb put it more plainly, describing a defensive line where stopping the run "takes a full team," and one that starts with the men up front.
The Part That Outlasts Football
Ask Ekuban what he wants people to remember and football is not the first answer.
"Most importantly, I want them to remember me being a positive person in the community," he said. "That's more important than anything on the field for me personally."
For three years, that has meant the No Limits camp, where he has been paired with the same child each summer and, over time, come to know the whole family.
"Getting to know him, getting to know his family, that's been big for me, and I feel like that's what really matters," Ekuban said. "The relationships I built here will last a lifetime. I've built so many relationships outside of football because of what we can do with the community and football."
Lamb was asked about that after Saturday's game and pushed back hard on the idea that community work and elite football exist in tension.
"The idea that being a great citizen, a leader in the community, a great father, husband, is somehow mutually exclusive with being the best football player to ever walk these halls, that's a falsehood," Lamb said. "That's kind of stuff for the movies. You can be a well-rounded person. You can be a man of God, a man of family, a community man. Ezra is all those things and a great leader for us. And yes, he can play the game of football at a very, very high level."
Lamb drew on his own background to make the point, citing time at smaller private schools and at BYU, places where players arrived with their priorities already in order.
"I've never seen that emphasis put on the whole man outside of football take anything away from a football player itself," he said.
One More Saturday
Ekuban will be honored with the rest of the seniors Saturday when the Bears close the home schedule against Montana State. He insists he is not treating it as a farewell.
"I don't think I'll get super emotional," he said. "To me, it's just another game. I've played a lot of them. But it being the last home game, it means a little more, I guess."
He also rejects the notion that the final two weeks call for a gear he has been saving.
"I play hard every game. I'm not going to play harder these last two games just because they're the last two. That would mean I've been holding back in previous games," he said. "We're not playing for the playoffs at this point. We're playing to create memories for brothers. If we win these last two games, that's something we can look back on and remember for the rest of our lives."
That, more than the tackles, is what he is chasing.
Tickets can be purchased through the UNC ticket office online at UNCBears.com/Tickets, by calling 970-351-4849, or in person at the UNC ticket office during normal business hours.
Quarterback Club
The Quarterback Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Football program. By giving to the Quarterback Club, you help enhance the student-athlete experience, providing resources for team development, and ensuring the success of the Bears on and off the field. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in the future of the program.
FOLLOW THE BEARS:
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at UNCBears.com. Follow the football team on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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The fifth-year defensive end from Parker, Colo. considered walking away before the year began. Injuries had stacked up through the offseason, and the weight of another fall of rehab made stepping aside a real option.
"I was dealing with some injuries in the offseason, and then partially considered not even playing my last year just because of that," Ekuban said. "My mindset was just, I just want to finish out stuff the right way. I don't want to leave in the middle of the season. That would leave a bad impression of me on any of my teammates or coaches."
What tipped it was simpler than any of that. He had been at Northern Colorado for four years. He did not want to be remembered as the guy who left.
"I didn't want my teammates to ever remember me as someone who just quit on them," he said. "It's just the right thing to do to finish."
Production When Healthy
Ekuban's numbers this fall have been limited by the time he has missed, not by his impact when he is on the field. In seven games he has 18 tackles, eight of them for loss, with three sacks. He was named Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week, and he earned All-NFFCC recognition in 2025 after posting 37 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.
Across 27 games in a Northern Colorado uniform, his career line reads 73 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
He returned from injury at Southern Utah last Saturday and changed the front immediately. The Bears held a Southern Utah backfield that head coach Ed Lamb had called the best tandem in the country to roughly 65 yards apiece on the ground, and
Lamb pointed to Ekuban's disruption at the end spot as part of the reason.
"I think we just did a good job up front knocking back the line of scrimmage," Ekuban said. "And then our backers, as well as our secondary players, did a good job filling in when the ball spilled off the table. Group tackling efforts. I think that's what really played a role in stopping the run."
Lamb put it more plainly, describing a defensive line where stopping the run "takes a full team," and one that starts with the men up front.
The Part That Outlasts Football
Ask Ekuban what he wants people to remember and football is not the first answer.
"Most importantly, I want them to remember me being a positive person in the community," he said. "That's more important than anything on the field for me personally."
For three years, that has meant the No Limits camp, where he has been paired with the same child each summer and, over time, come to know the whole family.
"Getting to know him, getting to know his family, that's been big for me, and I feel like that's what really matters," Ekuban said. "The relationships I built here will last a lifetime. I've built so many relationships outside of football because of what we can do with the community and football."
Lamb was asked about that after Saturday's game and pushed back hard on the idea that community work and elite football exist in tension.
"The idea that being a great citizen, a leader in the community, a great father, husband, is somehow mutually exclusive with being the best football player to ever walk these halls, that's a falsehood," Lamb said. "That's kind of stuff for the movies. You can be a well-rounded person. You can be a man of God, a man of family, a community man. Ezra is all those things and a great leader for us. And yes, he can play the game of football at a very, very high level."
Lamb drew on his own background to make the point, citing time at smaller private schools and at BYU, places where players arrived with their priorities already in order.
"I've never seen that emphasis put on the whole man outside of football take anything away from a football player itself," he said.
One More Saturday
Ekuban will be honored with the rest of the seniors Saturday when the Bears close the home schedule against Montana State. He insists he is not treating it as a farewell.
"I don't think I'll get super emotional," he said. "To me, it's just another game. I've played a lot of them. But it being the last home game, it means a little more, I guess."
He also rejects the notion that the final two weeks call for a gear he has been saving.
"I play hard every game. I'm not going to play harder these last two games just because they're the last two. That would mean I've been holding back in previous games," he said. "We're not playing for the playoffs at this point. We're playing to create memories for brothers. If we win these last two games, that's something we can look back on and remember for the rest of our lives."
That, more than the tackles, is what he is chasing.
Tickets can be purchased through the UNC ticket office online at UNCBears.com/Tickets, by calling 970-351-4849, or in person at the UNC ticket office during normal business hours.
Quarterback Club
The Quarterback Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Football program. By giving to the Quarterback Club, you help enhance the student-athlete experience, providing resources for team development, and ensuring the success of the Bears on and off the field. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference in the future of the program.
FOLLOW THE BEARS:
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at UNCBears.com. Follow the football team on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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