Liam Ezekiel Liam Ezekiel ( born October 30 , 1982 in Arlington , Massachusetts ) is an American football linebacker for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Buffalo Bills in 2005 . He played college football at Northeastern . He has also played for the Nashville Kats and Chicago Rush . Early years . Ezekiel attended Arlington High School where he played hockey and lettered in football , basketball , and track . While in highschool Ezekiel received many accolades for his football performance . Ezekiel joined the All - State Select 22 team as a senior , became league all - start ( as a sophomore , junior , and senior ) , and was proclaimed Team MVP . In addition to these honors Ezekiel was also named to the All - State team twice ( during his junior and senior years ) and was proclaimed All - Scholastic by the " Boston Herald " and " Boston Globe " . While at Arlington High School Liam earned a school record of 21 tackles in a single game , and 115 tackles in one season . The first record was subsequently broken by Matt Duggan who had 26 tackles in one game , while the second record still stands . Ezekiel finished his high school career with a school - record 450 tackles . College career . Ezekiel attended Northeastern where he majored in Criminal Justice and was a member of the school ' s football team . As a freshman in 2001 , Ezekiel was originally going to play at Division I - A West Virginia , however he decided to attended Northeastern in the summer 2001 . He was named Third - team All - Atlantic 10 , the first player in school history to ever earn All - Conference honors as a freshman . In his freshman season , he missed the first two games , but played in the last nine . He finished the season second on the teams with 82 tackles , setting a school freshman record . His average of 9 . 1 tackles - per - game was the highest on the team and eighth best in the conference . In his first game , he replaced injured linebacker Joe Gazzola , and recorded 13 tackles to help lead the team to its first win over Delaware . Ezekiel later recorded a season - high 15 tackles and one sack to help lead Northeastern to its first conference shutout ever , a 7 - 0 win over Richmond . As a sophomore in 2002 , Ezekiel led the conference and was seventh in the nation ( Division I - AA ) with a school - record 145 tackles , an average of 11 . 2 tackles - per - game . He was a " Sports Network " Third - team All - American . He was also First - team All - Conference , a New England Writers All - Star , he was also named the conference ' s Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career - high 22 tackles ( one short of the school ' s single - game record ) , on the road against Delaware . He recorded 20 tackles on the road against William & Mary to become the first player in school history to have two 20 - tackle games in the same season . He also won the James M . Thornton Memorial Award as MVP of the Homecoming game , after recording 15 tackles , one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries against Villanova . He also returned his first - career interception 28 yards for a touchdown against James Madison . He played the last five weeks of the season with a broken thumb . For the season he recorded seven double - digit tackle games . He also won the Chicken Lou Award as the team ' s most aggressive player . Through just two seasons , Ezekiel had recorded 227 tackles , 20 short of the school ' s top 10 . As a junior in 2003 , Ezekiel started all 12 games . He also received First - team All - America honors from both the " Associated Press " and " Sports Network " . He also earned First - team All - Conference , for the second straight year . He was also named a First - team All - Star by the ECAC and the New England Writers . He won the Atlantic 10 Co - Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording a season - high 17 tackles and returning an interception 40 yards against UMass . He finished the season fifth in the conference and 12th in the nation Division I - AA ) in tackles - per - game with 11 . 7 . He recorded 140 tackles , second most in school history , behind his total from the previous season . He also finished in a tie for ninth in the conference in sacks with 5 . 5 . He recorded double - digit tackles in the last 11 games of the season . He also recorded a career - high two sacks against Rhode Island . As a senior in 2004 , Ezekiel appeared in and started 10 games . He earned First - team All - Conference for the third consecutive season . He also earned First - team All - America honors from the " Associated Press " and Second - team All - America honors by the " Sports Network " . He was also named a First - team All - Star by the New England Football Writers and the ECAC . He was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award . He also appeared in the East - West Shrine Game in San Francisco , California , in which he recorded six tackles . He also led the conference and was sixth in the nation ( Division I - AA ) in tackles - per - game with 12 . 2 . His 122 tackles finished fifth in the conference . Ezekiel finished his college career as Northeastern ' s all - time leader in tackles with 489 . His career total placed him second in Division I - AA history . Professional career . Pre - draft . Ezekiel received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine . He was ranked as the 15th best inside linebacker out of 57 . , as well as the 308th best player out of 1 , 451 players in the draft . He was projected to be selected in the seventh round or go unselected . National Football League . Ezekiel went unselected in the 2005 NFL Draft . However , he later signed as an undrafted free agent with the Buffalo Bills , where he made the final roster as a rookie and played for two seasons , appearing in two games , recording six tackles . Arena Football League . After being released by the Bills , Ezekiel joined the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League and played in all 16 games and recorded a team - leading 82 . 5 tackles , three for losses . He also recorded 1 . 5 sacks , two fumble recoveries , and one forced fumble . In October 2007 , he was selected by the Utah Blaze with the eighth pick in the 2008 dispersal draft , but was released at the end of training camp . He then signed a one - year contract with the Chicago Rush to replace Fullback Matt Kinsinger , who suffered a season - ending knee injury during the Rush ' s season - opening win over the San Jose SaberCats , and played in 15 games and recorded 32 tackles , one pass broken up , and two fumble recoveries . After the season , Ezekiel ' s contract expired and was not renewed .