Completed Event: Football versus Weber State on August 30, 2025 , Win , 45, to, 10
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Daka, John
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Jersey Number 7
John Daka
- Year:
- Senior
- Position:
- Defensive Lineman
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-2 / 227
- Hometown:
- Upper Marlboro, Md.
- High School:
- Wise
- Major:
- Sociology
Bio
Finished career ranking fourth all-time at JMU with 27.5 sacks.
2019 as a Senior: Started in all 16 games at defensive end… STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award Finalist... STATS FCS First Team All-American… Phil Steele First Team All-American… Associated Press Second Team All-American… HERO Sports Second Team All-American… First Team All-CAA defensive lineman… First Team All-ECAC… VaSID First Team All-State... STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 14)... CAA Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 14)... Had 67 total tackles (33 solo), to go with 28.0 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups, 13 quarterback hurries and one block… Led country in total sacks and tackles for loss, ranking third nationally in TFL per game (1.8) and fifth in sacks per game (1.03)… Also ranks fifth in FCS in forced fumbles… Set the JMU single-season record for sacks… Career-highs of nine tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss to go with 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble versus Villanova (Oct. 12)… Career-best 2.5 sacks, seven total tackles and a fumble recovery against Towson (Oct. 26)… Had six stops, 3.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked kick in FCS Second Round against Monmouth (Dec. 7)… Also recorded 2.0 sacks at Elon (Sept. 28), against New Hampshire (Nov. 9) and in FCS Quarterfinals versus Northern Iowa (Dec. 13)… Made eight tackles with 1.5 TFL in national championship game against North Dakota State (Jan. 11)… Recorded at least 1.0 sack in nine games… Tallied at least 2.0 TFL in eight games and 1.0 or more in 12 outings… Season-best three quarterback hurries at Elon… HERO Sports Preseason First Team All-American... Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA... Charles Haley Defensive MVP Award.
2018 as a Junior: Played in all 13 games, making eight starts… HERO Sports FCS Second Team All-American... Phil Steele FCS Fourth Team All-American... Third Team All-CAA defensive lineman… VaSID First Team All-State... Had 47 total tackles (22 solo), to go with 17.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, a safety and nine quarterback hurries… Ranked tied for first in the CAA in sacks and tied for second in tackles for loss… Also ranked 24th in the FCS in sacks per game (0.77)… Season-high eight tackles with 1.5 TFLs and a sack at New Hampshire (Nov. 3)… Season-best two sacks at Towson (Nov. 17) and in FCS First Round against Delaware (Nov. 24)… Tallied a season-high 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and forced a fumble at Richmond (Sept. 29)… Forced a safety in FCS First Round win… Made 1.5 sacks in FCS Second Round at Colgate (Dec. 1)… Also had six tackles with a pair of TFLs against Robert Morris (Sept. 13)… Had a TFL in 11 straight games to end the season… Accrued at least a full sack in seven outings… Made four or more tackles in six games... JMU's Defensive Lineman of the Year.
2017 as a Sophomore: Played in nine games… Had four total tackles (2 solo), to go with 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sack and one pass breakup… Had two tackles and first career sack at William & Mary (Oct. 21).
2016 as a Freshman: Played in 13 games... Had 19 total tackles (10 solo), to go with 1.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry... Season-high six tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss against Rhode Island (Oct. 29)... Registered five tackles, all solo, in FCS quarterfinals versus Sam Houston State (Dec. 9)... Tallied at least one tackle in nine games.
High School: Maryland Class 4A Big School First Team All-State as a senior… Parade Honorable Mention All-American as a senior... Washington Post First Team All-Met defense as a senior… DMV Elite First Team All-Maryland Team… Prince George’s 4A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior… First Team All-County as a junior and senior… Helped Wise to 2015 MAA 4A state championship with perfect 14-0 record… Also helped Pumas to 2014 MPSSAA 4A playoffs as a junior… Set school record with 28 sacks as a senior… Invited to play for the state of Maryland in the 2016 Big 33 Classic…
Personal: Full name is John Daka... Son of Vizzie Okpalobi…Has three brothers, Golden, Anderson and Andre, and a sister, Ariana... Majoring in sociology.
2019 as a Senior: Started in all 16 games at defensive end… STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award Finalist... STATS FCS First Team All-American… Phil Steele First Team All-American… Associated Press Second Team All-American… HERO Sports Second Team All-American… First Team All-CAA defensive lineman… First Team All-ECAC… VaSID First Team All-State... STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 14)... CAA Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 14)... Had 67 total tackles (33 solo), to go with 28.0 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups, 13 quarterback hurries and one block… Led country in total sacks and tackles for loss, ranking third nationally in TFL per game (1.8) and fifth in sacks per game (1.03)… Also ranks fifth in FCS in forced fumbles… Set the JMU single-season record for sacks… Career-highs of nine tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss to go with 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble versus Villanova (Oct. 12)… Career-best 2.5 sacks, seven total tackles and a fumble recovery against Towson (Oct. 26)… Had six stops, 3.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked kick in FCS Second Round against Monmouth (Dec. 7)… Also recorded 2.0 sacks at Elon (Sept. 28), against New Hampshire (Nov. 9) and in FCS Quarterfinals versus Northern Iowa (Dec. 13)… Made eight tackles with 1.5 TFL in national championship game against North Dakota State (Jan. 11)… Recorded at least 1.0 sack in nine games… Tallied at least 2.0 TFL in eight games and 1.0 or more in 12 outings… Season-best three quarterback hurries at Elon… HERO Sports Preseason First Team All-American... Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA... Charles Haley Defensive MVP Award.
2018 as a Junior: Played in all 13 games, making eight starts… HERO Sports FCS Second Team All-American... Phil Steele FCS Fourth Team All-American... Third Team All-CAA defensive lineman… VaSID First Team All-State... Had 47 total tackles (22 solo), to go with 17.0 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, a safety and nine quarterback hurries… Ranked tied for first in the CAA in sacks and tied for second in tackles for loss… Also ranked 24th in the FCS in sacks per game (0.77)… Season-high eight tackles with 1.5 TFLs and a sack at New Hampshire (Nov. 3)… Season-best two sacks at Towson (Nov. 17) and in FCS First Round against Delaware (Nov. 24)… Tallied a season-high 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack and forced a fumble at Richmond (Sept. 29)… Forced a safety in FCS First Round win… Made 1.5 sacks in FCS Second Round at Colgate (Dec. 1)… Also had six tackles with a pair of TFLs against Robert Morris (Sept. 13)… Had a TFL in 11 straight games to end the season… Accrued at least a full sack in seven outings… Made four or more tackles in six games... JMU's Defensive Lineman of the Year.
2017 as a Sophomore: Played in nine games… Had four total tackles (2 solo), to go with 1.0 tackle for loss, 1.0 sack and one pass breakup… Had two tackles and first career sack at William & Mary (Oct. 21).
2016 as a Freshman: Played in 13 games... Had 19 total tackles (10 solo), to go with 1.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry... Season-high six tackles and 1.0 tackle for loss against Rhode Island (Oct. 29)... Registered five tackles, all solo, in FCS quarterfinals versus Sam Houston State (Dec. 9)... Tallied at least one tackle in nine games.
High School: Maryland Class 4A Big School First Team All-State as a senior… Parade Honorable Mention All-American as a senior... Washington Post First Team All-Met defense as a senior… DMV Elite First Team All-Maryland Team… Prince George’s 4A Defensive Player of the Year as a senior… First Team All-County as a junior and senior… Helped Wise to 2015 MAA 4A state championship with perfect 14-0 record… Also helped Pumas to 2014 MPSSAA 4A playoffs as a junior… Set school record with 28 sacks as a senior… Invited to play for the state of Maryland in the 2016 Big 33 Classic…
Personal: Full name is John Daka... Son of Vizzie Okpalobi…Has three brothers, Golden, Anderson and Andre, and a sister, Ariana... Majoring in sociology.
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