Biography of Austin Ekeler [Age, Height, Wife, Kids, Family, Salary, Award & Net worth ]

People who follow soccer near must have heard of the name Austin Ekeler. Autin is an American football running back, currently teamed with the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL).

Unlike many athletes, who rose to fame quite quickly, the journey of Austin Ekeler has been a long and patient one. Despite having an exceptional high school career, he was overlooked by every Division I college.

Every program of Division II colleges that did want him would ask him to switch positions. Except for one college that he hadn’t heard of, Western State Colorado University.

So how did a boy spending his childhood in farmland gain to NFL stardom? Before going any further, let us have a look at the quick facts.

 

Quick Facts

Austin Ekeler | Childhood

Ekeler was born on May 17, 1995. His mother, Suzanne, gave birth to Austin in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Austin does not remember his biological father, as his parents split shortly after his birth. Besides, he is sentenced to prison for life and does not talk about this subject.

Shortly after their split, Suzanne moved to Colorado Springs and met her future husband, who stayed for eleven years. Growing up, he hated his abusive stepfather.

His mother was a math teacher who also had to take other part-time jobs each summer to financially support the family. Besides, she also played basketball during her college days and coached high school sports for years.

Austin and his half-brother Wyett had a very modest and simple childhood. They moved to his stepfather’s ranch and were full-time employees who would take care of their horses, cows, goats, and chickens.

They had to be awake by 6 a.m. for backbreaking chores and were sent to break ice apart in the water tanks during winter.

Ekeler recalls that he hated every minute of it and would have pay to the price if anything went wrong.

 

Austin Ekeler | Age, Height, and Physical Appearance

As of now, Austin is 27 Years Old born under the sun-sign Taurus. People with this horoscope are hardworking, talented, and have a high dedication towards their careers.

When talking about Austin’s height, he stands at the height of 5 ft 10 in and weighing around  91 kg. Being a professional football player, he has got athletic body type.

Unfortunately, the information regarding his shoe size, tattoos(if any), and other body measurements are unavailable at the moment.

Workout

As a matter of fact, Austin Ekeler is best known for his workout videos on Twitch that he streams like a gamer. Furthermore, he doesn’t have a specific gym routine, but he works out from his house.

Likewise, Austin is more into running and does it to maintain his weight. During the workout, he does lunges, pushups, burpees, squats, star jumps, and some twist jumps.

As for his diet, Austin Ekeler is a pure vegan and also tries to cut out as many fatty and sugary things. Additionally, his main go-to dishes include rice, ground turkey, black beans, avocado, and either onions or bell peppers.

Austin Ekeler | Education

Austin attended Eaton High School and played college football. Football was his haven. At that time, he did not even love football.

He desperately wanted to escape that place, and therefore he saw football as his chance to leave. Austin put his mind, energy, and focus on football.

Despite scoring 42 touchdowns with 2,400 rushing yards during his senior year, many Division I colleges did not respond to him. Division II colleges, which he approached, wanted to change his positions.

Finally, Western State Colorado University, which he had not heard of, wanted him without any changes in his position.

Austin remembers being in a state of confusion when he found out he was ranked 22nd with the most rushing yards in the entire country, yet nobody wanted him.

The day he received his high school degree, he left for Western State Colorado University, Gunnison, in 2013. In 2016, he made the difficult choice of putting his degree on hold as he was preparing for the draft.

He was four classes away from graduating in energy management but decided to take a break instead.

His mother being a teacher, stressed the importance of education and happily accepted going back to college to complete his degree.

In 2018, he decided to go to college and took classes in Oil and Gas Law and Prospects Economics of Oil and Gas. Moreover, he knew that he needed something to fall back on.

Austin Ekeler | College Career

During his time in Western Colorado, he played college football from 2013-2016.

As a freshman, he played nine games. Initially, he was one of the team’s nine running backs but quickly earned a starting job.

No teammates would take the game seriously as no one considered football as a career. He quickly became the team captain for all his years in college. 

 

For his efforts, he was named Don Hansen All-Super Region IV Offensive First Team (2013), Don Hansen All-Super Region IV Freshman of the Year (2013), Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Offensive Freshman of the Year (2013).

Austin averaged 134.3 app purpose yards per game. He rushed 1,049 yards ranking him third in RMAC and tenth for a season in his college history. 

As a Sophomore, he rushed 14 touchdowns and set his school record of 1,676 rushing yards, 2,093 total all-purpose yards. Besides, with 152.4 yards, he recorded the second-most average rushing yards per game in college history. 

He led his team as a junior to Division II. In 2015, he became the university’s all-time career leader in rushing yards. Moreover, he was the Harlon Hill Trophy candidate, given to the top Division II player.

Austin was the recipient of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) All-America Second Team and earned his second College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America honor. 

He played 40 collegiate games and finished with 5,857 yards with 55 touchdowns. From a nobody who never got the attention he deserved, this time, people started noticing him.

Austin Ekeler | Professional Career

After being undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft, he signed a three-year deal worth $1.66 million with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Austin had his first career touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles with a 35-yard rush. Furthermore, he finished his rookie season with 260 rushing and two rushing touchdowns.

 

Austin opened the season against Kansas City Chiefs and had 39 rushing yards. Against a game with the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14, he suffered from a neck injury and missed two season games.

Austin finished his 2018 season with 554 rushing yards, 404 receiving yards, and three rushing touchdowns.

Ekeler started the 2019 season as a starter, and in Week 1, he rushed 12 times for 58 yards against Indianapolis Colts. He finished his 2019 season with 557 rushing yards with three rushing touchdowns.

Proving to be a valuable asset, he extended his contract in March 2020 with the Chargers for four more years, this time worth $24.5 million.

 

Austin Ekler | Stats

Austin Ekeler | Net Worth

Until 2019, he was under a contract of $1.66 million, with a salary of $600,000. At the lowest, NFL players are paid around $400,000- $600,000, whereas at the highest level, they can be paid up to $50 million and above.

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A post shared by Austin Ekeler (@austinekeler)

 

Going from undrafted to one of the Chargers’ key players, he is one of the biggest success stories. Ekeler’s exact net worth has not been estimated yet. But it is estimated that,

HIS NET WORTH IS AROUND $1 MILLION.

His net worth is more likely to increase after extending his contract with the Chargers in 2022, worth 24.5 million.

After signing the contract, he became a multimillionaire and has started two new businesses. Also, he occasionally enjoys celebratory dinners at Red Robin.

Austin Ekeler | Girlfriend

Although much information is not currently available, it is assumed that Austin is in a relationship with Taylor Frick.

Although he rarely posts about her on his social media accounts, numerous news articles confirm their relationship and report that she is a personal trainer.

Likewise, Austin currently lives near a beach and now plans to buy a house of his own with his Taylor.

 

Austin Ekeler | Injury

It is not a secret when we say that athletes are prone to injury. In September 2020, the Chargers announced that Austin suffered from a grade 2 hamstring injury.

But during a live stream, he said that “part of the tendon essentially ripped off the bone,” which is close to grade 3 injury. 

The injury took place in Week 4 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Initially, he was placed on injured reserve, which meant that he would miss three games.

However, Anthony Lynn, the Chargers’ head coach, later said in a press conference that he would be back “later rather than sooner.”

Austin Ekeler | Personality

Austin is and has always been dedicated and never had the slightest hint to quit. Even during his ranch days, he might have hated every bit of it, but he never complained about it. Like his mother, he is quite competitive.

His mother feels very blessed to have a son like him. It indeed might not have been easy to raise children alone. In an interview, Autin said his mother is his role model and significantly influenced his life.

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A post shared by Austin Ekeler (@austinekeler)

 

He is known to put maximum effort into everything he does. His mother said that both their children have an addiction to work hard and to be better themselves.

Austin has always been a responsible person. From a young age, he had significant responsibilities, from taking care of the animals to breaking the ice at 6 a.m. and babysitting his brother. Therefore, he has had a sense of responsibility and the work ethic inside him since young.

 

Austin Ekeler | Social Media

Austin has dedicated and loyal fans on his social media. As of 2020, he has 87.9k followers on Instagram, 24.6k followers on Twitter, and 3,718 followers on Facebook.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Austin Ekeler expected to return for the 2020 season?

The exact timetable of his return has not been announced officially. His recovery period is estimated to 4-to-6 weeks.

What is Austin Ekeler’s jersey number?

30

Who will replace Austin during his recovery?

Chargers are likely to choose between Joshua Kelley and Justin Jackson until Austin recovers from his injury.

What is Austin Ekeler’s fantasy value?

Austin’s fantasy value is measured by average draft position (ADP). Ekeler’s ADP is 3.09, meaning his fantasy outlook is in 3rd pick and 3rd round.