John Daka

John Daka (born December 7, 1997) is an American professional football defensive lineman. He played college football at James Madison University. He was the first player of Zambian descent to sign with a National Football League team.^[1]

John Daka

Daka with the Houston Roughnecks in 2023
Personal information
Born:	(1997-12-07) December 7, 1997 (age 27) Upper Marlboro, Maryland, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
Position:	Defensive lineman
High school:	Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr.
College:	James Madison
NFL draft:	2020: undrafted
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (2020)* New York Jets (2021)* Los Angeles Rams (2021)* Chicago Bears (2021)* Houston Roughnecks (2023) St. Louis Battlehawks (2024)* Toronto Argonauts (2024)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
FCS national champion (2016)
Stats at Pro Football Reference

College career

Daka enrolled at James Madison University despite interest from FBS schools and got off to a slow start to his career with 23 tackles and one sack over his first two seasons.^[2] He led the Football Championship Subdivision with 16.5 sacks and 28 tackles for loss in the 2019 season^[3] and was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association first-team.^[2] He played in 51 games for the Dukes, totaling 137 tackles, 47.5 tackles for losses, 27.5 sacks, four pass defenses, six forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.^[3]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables

Height	Weight
6 ft 1+3⁄4 in (1.87 m)	227 lb (103 kg)
Values from Pro Day[4]

Baltimore Ravens

Daka was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2020.^[5] He was waived during final roster cuts on August 31, 2020.^[6]

New York Jets

On January 12, 2021, Daka signed a reserve/future contract with the New York Jets.^[3] He was waived on May 3, 2021.^[7]

Los Angeles Rams

On May 4, 2021, Daka was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams.^[8] He was waived on August 31, 2021.

Chicago Bears

On January 6, 2022, Daka was signed to the Chicago Bears' practice squad.

Houston Roughnecks

On November 17, 2022, Daka was drafted by the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.^[9] The Roughnecks brand was transferred to the Houston Gamblers when the XFL and USFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL).^[10]

St. Louis Battlehawks

Daka was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks in the fourth round of the Super Draft portion of the 2024 UFL dispersal draft on January 15, 2024.^[11] He signed with the team on January 23.^[12] He was released on March 10, 2024.^[13]

Toronto Argonauts

Daka signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League on April 29, 2024 as a defensive lineman. He was placed on the reserve/suspended list on May 12, 2024.^[14] He was eventually released from his contract on September 16, 2024.^[15]