Canadian defensive lineman Eli Ankou has joined the Houston Texans’ practice roster, according to Aaron Wilson.
The Ottawa native has bounced around considerably over the past year, having been a member of the Indianapolis Colts (2020), Houston Texans (2020), Dallas Cowboys (2020), Atlanta Falcons (2021), Buffalo Bills (2021), and Pittsburgh Steelers (2021).
The 27-year-old originally signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2017. He was claimed off waivers that year by the Jacksonville Jaguars and spent two seasons with the team, recording 19 total tackles, one tackle for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 11 regular season games.
He dressed for nine games with the Cleveland Browns in 2019, making seven total tackles and one tackle for loss. The team claimed him off waivers in October 2019 and lost him to the waiver wire in September 2020 when he got picked up by the Indianapolis Colts.
The six-foot-three, 325-pound Ottawa native has appeared in 27 NFL games, recording 31 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks. He has earned over $2.28 million in his career to date.
Ankou was selected in the third round of the 2017 CFL Draft by the Ottawa Redblacks, who still own his CFL rights.
