Paul Akere

HONORS
2023 – Named to the ACC All-Academic Team … Listed as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy … 2022 – Academic All-ACC … one of four Cavaliers on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team … recipient of the Defensive 12th Man Award at the program’s annual awards banquet … named to 2022-23 ACC Honor Roll.

AT VIRGINIA
2022: Appeared in all 10 games as a graduate transfer for UVA … Totaled 22 tackles on the year and made at least one stop in all 10 contests … was tied for third on the team with four sacks, all four came against ACC opponents … One of 20 ACC defenders with 4+ sacks in league play … recorded his first career multi-sack game, with two against Georgia Tech on Oct. 20 … Had a sack at Syracuse on Sept. 23 and against North Carolina on Nov. 5.

PRIOR TO VIRGINIA

COLUMBIA CAREER: Played in 22 career games with 10 starts as a defensive end in three years at Columbia … Over the span of his 22-game career, he registered 6.0 sacks for 41 yards, 10.0 tackles for loss for 53 yards, 49 total tackles (31 solo) with one forced fumble.

2021: Named an FCS ADA Academic All-Star … Second team All-Ivy League honoree as a defensive lineman … Named a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection … Earned second team All-Ivy League honors by Phil Steele Magazine … Started all 10 games as a senior defensive end … Ranked No. 9 in the Ivy League in sacks (5.0-39 yards), ranked No. 10 in the Ivy League in tackles for loss (9.0-51 yards), and finished the year ranked No. 5 on the squad in tackles, impressive for a defensive lineman, with 42 (27 solo) … Had a four-game stretch with at least one sack (Sept. 25-Oct. 22) … Finished with five tackles (two solo), 1.5 tackle for loss and 0.5 sack for six yards in season finale at Cornell (Nov. 20) … Made five tackles with 1.0 tackle for loss, 0.5 sack and forced a fumble at Brown (Nov. 13) … Finished with six tackles (six solo) at Dartmouth (Oct. 22) … Finished with six tackles (four solo) with 2.0 tackles for loss for nine yards and 1.0 sack for five yards vs. Penn (Oct. 16) … Registered four tackles (three solo) with 1.0 sack for nine yards at Central Connecticut State (Oct. 9) … Registered one sack for seven yards and three solo tackles at Princeton (Oct. 2) … Most productive performance came vs. Georgetown when he led the Lions with eight tackles (six solo), 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack (Sept. 25) … Made first career start with one assisted tackle in season opener vs. Marist (Sept. 18). 2020: Season canceled due to COVID pandemic. 2019: Played in all 10 games as a sophomore defensive lineman … Listed all year on the depth chart as a backup defensive end … Earned varsity letter on year … Finished the year with six tackles (three solo) with 1.0 sack for two yards and 1.0 tackle for loss for two yards … Totaled at least one tackle in four consecutive games … Finished with one tackle at Yale (Nov. 2) … Registered first career sack for two yards and one tackle vs. Penn (Oct. 19) … Made one tackle vs. Central Connecticut State (Oct. 12) … Made one tackle at Princeton (Oct. 5) … Made a career-high two tackles vs. Georgetown (Sept. 28). 2018: As a first-year, saw action in the season’s first two games on the defensive line … Made one tackle in career debut at Central Connecticut State (Sept. 15).

HIGH SCHOOL: A 2018 graduate of Hebron High School in Lewisville, Texas, where he played four years of varsity football for head coach Brian Brazil … Two-time All-District 5-6A selection … Earned unanimous first team all-district honors as a defensive lineman in 2017 and second team all-district honors as a tight end in 2016 … Earned academic all-state honorable mention honors as a senior … Two-time football team captain … Totaled 70 tackles (35 solo), averaged 7.8 tackles per game, 4.5 sacks and recovered three fumbles in nine games played during senior year … Led the Hawks to an 8-3 overall record and 6-1 district record as a senior … Led the Hawks to an 8-4 overall record, 5-2 conference slate as a junior … Named a two-star recruit by 247sports.com … Also played three seasons on the Hawks basketball team … Served as team captain in basketball as a junior and guided the Hawks to an undefeated district record and district championship 2016-17 … Named All-District 5-6A selection in basketball and Defensive Player of the Year as a junior … Also competed in track and field as a junior and senior … Threw the discus (145-4) … Involved in community service activities including the Hands of Hope community mentorship program, visiting elementary schools and feeding the homeless.

PERSONAL
Born Paul Mowat Akere on November 19, 1999 in Dallas, Texas … Son of Labi and Shola Akere … Is one of four siblings including brother David (26) and sisters Lola (28) and Isabella (13) … Brother David played football at Georgetown (2014-17) … Both of his parents attended the University of Lagos and are originally from Nigeria…pursuing a masters degree in Higher Education.