Canadian linebacker Nakas Onyeka retires after four seasons, one Grey Cup title

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant/CFLPhotoArchive.com

Canadian linebacker Nakas Onyeka has retired from the CFL after four seasons after 40 career games as a member of the Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The five-foot-ten, 225-pound defender signed with the Elks last month on the opening day of free agency. The Brampton, Ont. product ends his career with 16 defensive tackles, 31 special teams tackles, and two sacks.

Selected by the Argos in the fifth round, 36th overall, of the 2017 CFL Draft, Onyeka opened his CFL career spending three seasons in Toronto and was part of the Argos’ 2017 Grey Cup-winning team.

Onyeka spent four years at Wilfred Laurier University and recorded 194 tackles, nine sacks, nine pass deflections, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and one interception in 38 games.

In 2016, the 27-year-old was part of Laurier’s Yates Cup championship team and was named a First Team All-Canadian, an OUA First-Team All-Star, and won the OUA’s Presidents’ Award as the conference’s top defender.