Benjamin Ijalana
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Ijalana is an American football
offensive guard who plays for the Indianapolis Colts
of the National Football League
.
Ijalana's parents immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria. A native of New Brunswick, New Jersey
, Ijalana attended Rancocas Valley Regional High School
, where he was a two-way lineman, and district champion in wrestling. He started every game at left tackle since his true freshman year at Villanova.
Ijalana was named to the 2010 Outland Trophy
watch list as the only Football Championship Subdivision player.
The Sporting News
listed Ijalana as one of the five most "intriguing small-school prospects". He was selected 49th overall by the Colts in the 2011 NFL Draft, the highest selected Villanova Wildcat since Howie Long
in 1981
.
by the Indianapolis Colts
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
offensive guard who plays for the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Ijalana's parents immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria. A native of New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, Ijalana attended Rancocas Valley Regional High School
Rancocas Valley Regional High School
Rancocas Valley Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district serving students in grades 9 through 12 from five communities in Burlington County, New Jersey. The district encompasses approximately and comprises the communities of Eastampton Township, Hainesport...
, where he was a two-way lineman, and district champion in wrestling. He started every game at left tackle since his true freshman year at Villanova.
Ijalana was named to the 2010 Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
watch list as the only Football Championship Subdivision player.
The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
listed Ijalana as one of the five most "intriguing small-school prospects". He was selected 49th overall by the Colts in the 2011 NFL Draft, the highest selected Villanova Wildcat since Howie Long
Howie Long
Howard "Howie" Matthew Moses Long is an American former National Football League defensive end and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000...
in 1981
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
.
Professional career
Ijalana was taken with the 49th overall pick in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.