Laekin Vakalahi
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Offensive tackle |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 28 January 2003 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 320 lb (145 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NFL draft | 2024: undrafted |
| Career history | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Laekin Vakalahi (born 28 January 2003)[1] is a New Zealand-Australian professional American football offensive tackle and former rugby league player.
Early life
[edit]He was born in Auckland, New Zealand and played junior rugby league in Brisbane for the Ormeau Shearers. He later moved to Melbourne where he played basketball.[2] After a chance encounter in Hawaii with his family and Bill Carey, a friend of Philadelphia Eagles international scout Chris Naeole who was impressed by his 35-inch arms 83–inch wingspan. He was given an official try-out and he began to train at Conquest Athletic Performance in Australia, previously used by Baltimore Ravens' Daniel Faalele.[3][4][5][6]
American football career
[edit]After completing a six-week training camp, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles in May 2024 on a three-year international development contract.[2][5][6] In pre-season in 2024 he played left tackle.[7]
He won a Super Bowl championship when the Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22 in Super Bowl LIX.[8]
He signed a reserve/future contract on February 14, 2025.[9] He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts.[10]
Personal life
[edit]His parents are Frank and Mary Vakalahi. He has four siblings, including a younger brother Kobe Vakalahi. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he spent two years completing his mission service in Wellington, New Zealand prior to 2024.[11][2][5] He has New Zealand citizenship.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Laekin Vakalahi". Fox Sports. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Horesh, Laurence (3 May 2024). "Eagles at it again, sign raw 300-pound Aussie Laekin Vakalahi". ESPN. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ McMullen, John (8 June 2024). "Why Can't Lightning Strike Twice With The Eagles?". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Kramer, Kelsey (6 May 2024). "Eagles' latest signing Laekin Vakalahi is Jordan Mailata 2.0". AtoZsports.com. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c "Philadelphia Eagle Soars as He Puts the Lord First". Pacific.churchofjesuschrist.org. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Dayal, Zion (16 May 2024). "How a dad's trip to Hawaii got his son signed to the NFL". 1news.co.nz. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Zangaro, Dave (28 August 2024). "Eagles practice squad tracker 2024: Filling out the 17-man squad". nbcsportsphikadelphia. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ Maaddi, Rob (10 February 2025). "Eagles deny the Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat with dominant defense in a 40-22 rout". AP News. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
- ^ "Eagles sign 13 players to Reserve/Futures deals ahead of 2025 NFL free agency". Eagles Wire. USA Today. 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Eagles announce their initial 53-man roster". philadelphiaeagles.com. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ Toone, Trent (8 October 2024). "NFL player attends general conference with his family from Australia". The Church. Retrieved 9 December 2024.