AUBURN, Ala. – Last August, Eku Leota had his path to the NFL mapped out. Show out your senior year, break Auburn's single-season sack record, earn invitations to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine and ultimately get the phone call on draft night.
It was all going according to plan, too, until Leota suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the fifth game of the season against LSU. He wouldn't play another down for Auburn.
Leota still earned those invitations to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. He even played in the Senior Bowl, recovering from his injury in time to impress scouts with his play that week, but he wasn't able to work out at the combine because of a minor calf injury.
"It's been a roller coaster ride," Leota said. "You've got to stay even keel throughout this process. You can't get too high. You can't get too low. Just trust the process.
"It's truly a blessing just to be here. I thank God every day. I might be hurt right now, but I'm still here. That's what is helping me keep my head up. All the hard work that I've done throughout the last three years has put me in this position."
For Leota, the path has never been a conventional one. He didn't start playing football until he was 7 when his family moved from Samoa to North Carolina. He fell in love with it. He eventually earned a scholarship to play at Northwestern, but after two seasons, he transferred to Auburn hungry for the challenge of playing in the SEC.
Little did Leota know that he would find another family or "aiga" at Auburn.
"That's the word I use when I'm around my brothers here at Auburn," he said. "Big family. It's very big in the Samoan culture as well. Family is the No. 1 thing.
"I had no idea I'd be here (at Auburn). Just trusting the process. Coming in every day and putting in work. And trying to help people. The Auburn Family has helped me be the person I am today. Truly, I'm forever indebted to the Auburn Family."
The last year might not have gone as planned for Leota, but it can still end with a phone call from an NFL team and hearing his name called during the draft this weekend.
Draft Analysis
I watched Leota early on and really liked what I saw. His outside speed rush is legit, and his cross chop move is very effective. He's plenty long and physically imposing too. For a team who wants an athletic specimen with some pass-rush ability, Leota should be a Day 3 target.
- Chris Trapasso, CBS (@ChrisTrapasso)
Signature Moment2022 might have been a year full of signature moments for Leota had it not been for the injury that cost him the rest of his season. He already had five tackles for loss and two sacks through the first five games. But the highlight Auburn fans will remember most happened in 2021 when he drove a rival's quarterback into the ground.
The Tigers were at home against Georgia. On a third down late in the first half, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett rolled to his left. Leota gave chase. Bennett stopped and tried to change direction, but Leota caught him, wrapped him up and planted him in the turf for a loss of 10 yards. Leota jumped up after the play and did his trademark celebration, igniting his teammates and the crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium.