Austin Ekeler Biography

Austin Ryan Ekeler, born on May 17, 1995, is an American professional football running back who has competed in the NFL. He played college football for the Western Colorado Mountaineers, where he became their all-time leader in rushing yards before joining the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017. As a freshman, Ekeler was a starter for the Fightin' Reds despite his height of 5 ft 5 in, rushing for 454 yards and 8 touchdowns on 70 carries. By the end of his college career, he recorded 5,232 rushing yards and 71 touchdowns on 561 carries, averaging 9.15 yards per carry, with an additional 581 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. In his NFL debut during the season opener against the Denver Broncos, Ekeler had two receptions for 18 yards. During the 2018 season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, he gained 39 rushing yards, made five receptions for 87 yards, and scored a receiving touchdown. Ekeler concluded the 2020 season with 116 carries for 530 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, along with 54 receptions for 403 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.