“He’s an absolute rare specimen,” Raiders safety Jarrod Cooper said. “You don’t find people like that very much. We saw him when he was in Arizona before he got here. I watched game tape every year from the last five years on people in the NFL and I was like, ‘Who is this?’ He just came in like a beast. About three weeks later, he was sitting in our meeting room. I wouldn’t want to go up against him.”

His college teammates called Ekejiuba “T.O.” because his frame resembles that of embattled Eagles receiver Terrell Owens.

“We put him in the spot he could be most disruptive,” Brown said. “He was a big kid and he could run. He started lifting, and if you look at him now, he’s a worker. He worked hard at everything he did. He’s not a kid who’s going to give you a lot of back talk. You hope things work out for kids like that.”

For Ekejiuba, football has been a positive outlet that helped him cope with the loss of his mother two years ago. He spoke to her on a Wednesday night and she told her son she was feeling fine, then died the next morning of an apparent heart attack.

That came after Ekejiuba and his four siblings already dealt with the death of their father, Benedict, from diabetes in 1996.

“It was a shock,” Ekejiuba recalled. “It was actually crazy because my mom at that point was all we had keeping our family together. It was really tough on the family. My mom supported me with everything I did, which is why I feel like I’m so successful. I’m trying to pick up her work ethic. She never saw me even play college ball.

“I feel like she’s always with me. Her positive attitude, that’s why I feel I’ve come this far.”

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Her photo is on his cell phone and he looks at it in the locker room each day before heading to the field for work. And Ekejiuba has been learning more about her work by researching his mom on the Internet — “I’m getting an understanding just what she’s done,” he said.

Those who knew Ekejiuba in college were impressed by how he managed to get through all of his sadness without missing a beat as an athlete.

“It’s one of those pleasant surprises,” said Evan Marcus, the Virginia strength coach. “He played special teams here and did a great job, but you know chances of making it in NFL are slim. He wasn’t an every-down player. To his credit, he kept working. The one thing I always think about when I think of Ike is he was a high-energy, positive, guy. He’s one of nicer kids I’ve run into, and I’ve been doing this 15 years.”

Ekejiuba is not one to campaign for more playing time. He’s content for now.

“That’s what I love doing — covering kicks and being on special teams. I feel very blessed to be in the position I’m in,” he said. “It’s been a very long road. When I look back to a couple years ago, I’m always amazed at how far I’ve come.”

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