When one door closes, another door opens. Former Iowa defensive tackle Faith Ekakitie probably heard something like that this past weekend; he was selected No. 1 overall in the Canadian Football League draft. Ekakitie was passed up during the seven rounds of the NFL Draft.

Ekakitie, a native of Brampton, Ontario, now gets to go to his home country and play football for Winnipeg.

“It’s an honor, and it didn’t happen just because of me,” Ekakitie said in a release. “I have God, my friends, family, and parents to thank. They made this whole process possible — and the University of Iowa, of course. This is not just about me, there are a lot of people involved in this; anyone who has helped me in any way, shape, or form throughout my career, I have to give a huge thank-you to all of them.”

Ekakitie was invited to a few mini-camps with NFL teams in the pre-draft process, but none took the leap and used a draft pick on him. Ekakitie said he could have kept on with different mini-camps, but he chose to go back to Canada, where teams truly wanted him.

“It was a matter of whether I wanted to continue pursuing mini-camps and trying to make an NFL team that way or go somewhere where the organization wants me,” Ekakitie said in a release. “Not only that, the fans are great in Winnipeg, they love their football. It was my decision, and I am making the right decision not only for me but for my wife, also.”

— by Blake Dowson