[BAYLOR FOOTBALL] Siaki Ika Selected by Cleveland Browns in 2023 NFL Draft

[Ingram, Brent]

BAYLOR ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS – April 28, 2023

Siaki Ika Selected by Cleveland in 2023 NFL Draft
Former Baylor All-American Picked in 2023 NFL Draft

For more information contact: Brent Ingram; 210-845-8651, brent_ingram at baylor.edu<mailto:brent_ingram at baylor.edu>



WACO, Texas -- Former Baylor All-America defensive lineman Siaki Ika has been picked by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, it was announced on Friday night in Kansas City.



The Brown nabbed Ika with the 98th overall selection in the NFL Draft, going as the 35th pick in the third round.



Ika, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, becomes the 40th Baylor great to be picked in the NFL Draft since 2010, the second-most during that stretch in the Big 12. The Bears have had 34 players drafted since 2012 and 28 since 2013. Ika is the 249th all-time Baylor player to be picked in the NFL Draft.



A 6-foot-4, 347-pounder, Ika played his last two seasons with Baylor after starting his career at LSU. He earned All-America honors from Phil Steele in 2022 and was named the 2021 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year after helping lead the Bears to a school-record 12-win season that included a conference championship and a Sugar Bowl Championship.



Ika, a finalist for the Polynesian Player of the Year Award in 2022, played in 12 games with 11 starts last year. He finished with 24 tackles, including two for a loss, with a team-leading five QB hurries and two pass break-ups. In 2021, he totaled four sacks and six tackles for a loss.



Ika joined offensive lineman Connor Galvin as invitees to the 2023 NFL Combine in Feb. and March. Ika played in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on Feb. 4 in Mobile, Ala.



A total of 22 Baylor greats were on NFL rosters or practice squads in 2022 and last year six Bears were picked in the NFL Draft, including four in the first three rounds.



The 2023 NFL Draft will continue on Saturday with the final four rounds, with coverage available on the NFL Network and ESPN.



Ika Bio



CAREER HONORS

• 2022 All-America Third Team (Phil Steele)

• 2022 All-Big 12 First Team (Coaches, AP, Phil Steele)

• 2022 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (PFN)

• 2022 All-Texas Second Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)

• 2022 Finalist for Polynesian Player of the Year Award

• 2021 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year (Coaches)

• 2021 All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches)

• 2021 All-Texas First Team (Dave Campbell's Texas Football)

• 2021 All-Big 12 First Team (AP)



2022 (Senior)

Earned third-team All-America honors from Phil Steele … Named first-team All-Big 12 by the league coaches, the Associated Press and Phil Steele … Was a finalist for the Polynesian Player of the Year Award … Played in 12 games with 11 starts at nose tackle … Totaled 24 tackles, including two for a loss, with five QB hurries and two pass break-ups … Had two stops in the season opener vs. UAlbany … Went for three tackles in front of a bevy of family and friends at No. 21 BYU, as the Salt Lake City native returned to Utah … Had two pass break-ups vs. Texas State … had a pair of stops and a QB hurry at Iowa State … Had four tackles vs. No. 7 Oklahoma State … Went for three tackles, including one for a loss and a QB hurry, at West Virginia … Broke up a pass in a win over Kansas … Had four tackles in a win at Oklahoma … Made three tackles with one for a loss and a QB hurry vs. No. 19 Kansas State … Had three tackles and a QB hurry vs. No. 4 TCU … Earned preseason All-America honors from Pro Football Network, Pick Six Preview, AP, Phil Steele and Athlon Sports … Was a preseason All-Big 12 first-team pick by the Big 12 media, Athlon, Phil Steele and Pick Six Preview … The preseason best defensive lineman in Texas by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football … On the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Outland Trophy, Bednarik Award and Lombardi Award Watch Lists … Ranked No. 52 on Pro Football Network’s top-100 players in the preseason.



2021 (Junior)

Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year … All-Big 12 Second Team DL … All-Big 12 Honorable Mention DLoY … DCTF First-Team All-Texas Defensive Line … AP All-Big 12 First Team defensive tackle … Tied for the third-most sacks on the team (4) … Tied for the sixth-most tackles for loss on the team (6.0) … Played 13 games with 12 starts … Made his BU debut at Texas State (9/4) and made one assisted tackle … Did not play against Texas Southern (9/11) … Recorded one pass breakup at Kansas (9/18) … Made a solo tackle against Iowa State (9/25) … Collected his first sack at BU with 0.5 against Oklahoma State (10/2) to go along with four tackles … Tallied a career-high two sacks as part of a three-tackle outing against West Virginia (10/9) … Played but did not record a stat against BYU (10/16) … Registered two tackles and a sack against Texas (10/30) … Had two more tackles at TCU (11/6) … Made one tackle and had two quarterback hurries against Oklahoma (11/13) … Notched another quarterback hurry at Kansas State (11/20) … Recorded a solo tackle and a quarterback hurry in home finale against Texas Tech (11/27) … Tied what was then his career-high with four tackles (2.5 for loss) to go along with a half sack in the Big 12 Championship game against Oklahoma State (12/4) … Set a new career-high with five total tackles against Ole Miss (1/1).



Prior to Baylor

Spent the 2019 season and a portion of 2020 season at LSU.



2020 (Sophomore/LSU)

Played in four games in 2020 before entering transfer portal … Had first career sack against Vanderbilt on October 3, 2020.



2019 (Freshman/LSU)

Member of 2019 National Championship team … Played in 13 games at nose tackles as a true freshman in 2019 … Recorded 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss …  Part of LSU’s rotation at nose tackle … Made an immediate impact during his first year with the Tigers … Enrolled at LSU in January 2019 and participated in spring practice.



High School

Played for coach Brandon Matich at East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah … A four-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN… Ranked as No. 243 in ESPN300… Rated as the No. 159 recruit overall and No. 1 in Utah according to 247Sports Composite rankings … Recorded 89 tackles and 14 sacks as a senior … Invited to the All-American Bowl and Polynesian Bowl in January.

Personal

Full name is Siaki Ika … son of Falakesi Kiola and Selu Loiola … nickname is Apu ... health, kinesiology and leisure studies major.



- BaylorBears.com -


--
Brent Ingram | Assistant AD for Communications
Men’s Tennis Sport Program Adminstrator
Department of Athletics | Baylor University
C: 210-845-8651

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