Nala Azikiwe

Template:Infobox player Nala Azikiwe is a rookie defensive tackle for the Downriver Waves.

Biography

Nala Azikiwe was born and raised in Kenya along with her three older brothers, two of which are twins. The family immigrated to the United States when she was 12 years old, and settled down near Fort Myers, Florida to chase after their own American Dream. All of the Azikiwe cubs were active and played soccer, and Nala was no exception as she would play pick-up games with her brothers - two of which would end up playing at the collegiate level. However, it quickly became apparent after a sudden growth spurt that Nala wouldn't be joining them in competitive play, as she took after her father in that she was tall and stocky.

She never knew what football was until she was 15 when a friend of hers talked her into joining the team at their high school. But Nala's parents balked at the idea, thinking that it was too rough for their only daughter to be playing what they considered to be a "boy's game." Eventually, they did relent and let her try out for the team...which she did handily after an impressive trial. It only took her three weeks to make the varsity team, and in those remaining six games, Nala played well enough to receive All-Conference honors as a sophomore. The next two years saw the lioness move up to All-County in a highly competitive region in southern Florida, and that meant scouts from the best colleges across the nation would be courting her. In the end, Nala chose national powerhouse Florida Feline as she knew that would be a school that could channel her inner warrior, and the fact that brothers Hami and Jabari played on the FFU soccer team was a draw for her as well.

Nala would excel as an anchor on the Florida Feline defensive front, and quickly developed into a niche player dedicated to stopping the run. On top of that, she also picked up 12.5 sacks, with 6 coming in her junior season of 2018, where Florida Feline went 11-1 and narrowly missed out on making the FCAA Playoffs under a swirl of controversy. After that breakout season, Nala decided to forgo her senior season and declare for the FCAA Draft, though she fully intends on completing her degree in anthropomorphic studies over the next couple years.

Rookie Scouting Report

Brock Brezniski: I don’t know what these other scouts are missing by saying Nala is only a one-dimensional player, but she is exceptional at her specialty. She has quick paws to engage at the point of attack, as well as the strength to gain leverage, which is critical to any run-stuffer’s game. Her numbers may not be the best, but she makes everyone around her better, and that is what a good anchor on the D-line can bring to a defensive unit.

Contract Info

Player Manager	Lazarus Otter
Salary (per year)	TBD
Exp. Date	3/1/2021

Statistics

Individual

Year	Team	GS	Tackles	Tackles for Loss	Coverages	Sacks	Forced Fumbles	Recoveries
2019	DWN

Win-Loss Record

Year	Team	Overall Record	Playoff Record	Regular Season Record
2019	Downriver	0-0	0-0	0-0