At the start of the season, the casual BYU football fan may still have been wondering where the 6’6” 270 pounds, beast Ezekiel Ansah came from. Now, a third of the way through his senior year, fans simply knows him as Ziggy.
Just over four years ago Ziggy was still in Accra, Ghana. He had dedicated himself to basketball in hopes that he could one day play in the NBA.
As part of that dream he moved to the states and started attending BYU in 2008. That’s when he saw football for the first time, and he wasn’t impressed.
“I never wanted to do it. I was like, that’s too intense for me,” said Ansah.
Oh, how things have things changed. Failing to make the BYU basketball team, now he chases down some of the best athletes the United States has to offer.
His teammates praise his work ethic and some even think Ziggy belongs in the NFL.
“I have love for my teammates. They make me feel at home,” said Ansah.
Even with his enormous frame and unquestionable strength, Coach Bronco Mendenhall thought Ziggy was a long shot to make it through camp, let alone on the team.
Now he’s a mainstay on the best defense BYU has had in years. Ziggy’s role has evolved from special teams player and backup, to starter. All season he has been able to contain the end and apply pressure to the quarterback, giving offensive linemen fits.
Ansah is sixth on the team with a total of 22 tackles. The difference between him and the 5 guys ahead of him is starts, he’s started once and the other five guys have started in all five games. Look for Ziggy early and often tonight now that he has solidified his spot atop the depth chart.