Ifeatu Melifonwu is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. The third round (pick 101st) played college football for the Syracuse Orange of the Syracuse University.
Melifonwu was born in Grafton, Massachusetts on May 2, 1999. He holds an American nationality and is of Afro-American ethnic background.
Despite being projected as high as an early second-round pick, the Detroit Lions decided to select Melifonwu late in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. This was four years after his brother, Obi Melifonwu was picked in the second round by the Oakland Raiders in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Ifeatu Melifonwu was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. SOURCE: Instagram After battling a hamstring injury for the first two years of his college career, the Grafton native appeared in all of Syracuse Orange's games (2019-2020 season). He spent the majority of his predraft training in Tampa, Florida under the guidance of Yo Murphy at the same training facility as Heisman Trophy winner, DeVonta Smith.
Melifonwu registered three interceptions, 88 tackles, five for the loss, one sack, 19 passes defended in the three seasons of college football and broke 23 passes. The season before 2021, he recorded 55 tackles, three for loss, 10 blocked passes, and an interception.
He played at Grafton Memorial Senior High School in Massachusetts. He is known for his unique length, strength, athleticism, and skill set to play corner or safety. Additionally, he has been admired for his ability to suffocate underneath routes and smother downfield routes.
Someone who is only just about to start his dream journey, Melifonwu's net worth is still a matter of speculation. Some may argue he couldn't have raked in that much from his collegiate career but a significant number of reports have shown that athletes do receive some level of reimbursements.
Ifeatu Melifonwu is an American football cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). SOURCE: Instagram Five-star-ranked players have been often reported of making an average of $650,000 per year off their college careers. In summation, this figure was agreed upon by researchers after they accounted for all the wins and various bowl appearances players like Melifonwu bring to their team.
His new contract with the Detroit Lions, should the team lock him in officially, could be worth anywhere around $1million - assuming the standard compensation given to the third-round selection.
Love seems to be far of a concern for the 6-foot-2 cornerbacks. As such the 22-year-old NFL rookie has been quite absent in the relationship game - primarily judging from his socials.
Ifeatu Melifonwu SOURCE: Instagram The punishing tackler has been expressive about his life on and off the field to his followers and doesn't look like the one who would keep his dating life indistinct. Considering that it seems unlikely he is seeing someone as of now.
