Israel Mukuamu

Israel Mukuamu (MOO-kwah-moo;[1] born November 28, 1999) is an American football safety for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina.

Israel Mukuamu
refer to caption
Mukuamu with South Carolina in 2020
No. 24 – Dallas Cowboys
Position:Safety
Personal information
Born: (1999-11-28) November 28, 1999
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:Parkway
(Bossier City, Louisiana)
College:South Carolina (2018–2020)
NFL Draft:2021 / Round: 6 / Pick: 227
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Early years

Mukuamu grew up in Moncks Corner, South Carolina and originally attended Berkeley Senior High School. As a junior, he helped turn the team into a winning program with a 9-3 record.

His family moved to Bossier City, Louisiana before his senior year and transferred to Parkway High School.[2][3] As a senior, he received All-Southwest Region honors.

He originally committed to play college football at Florida State University, but de-committed after head coach Jimbo Fisher left for Texas A&M University and opted to attend the University of South Carolina instead.[4][5]

College career

As a true freshman in 2018, Mukuamu played in all 13 games with 2 starts, making 17 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, one pass broken up and a forced fumble.[6] His first start came at safety in the twelfth game against the University of Akron.

As a sophomore in 2019, he was named the starter at safety for the season opener, before being moved to right cornerback opposite future NFL player Jaycee Horn. He received second-team All-SEC honors after finishing with 13 starts, 59 tackles (2 for loss), four interceptions (led the team) and 9 pass breakups.[7][8][9] He had a standout game in the 20-17 upset win against the third ranked University of Georgia, collecting 11 tackles and 3 interceptions, including one returned for a 53-yard touchdown. He received National Defensive Player of the Week honors for his effort.

As a junior in 2020, Mukuamu played in 6 games with 5 starts at both cornerback and safety. He was limited with a recurring groin injury, recording 10 tackles and 2 interceptions (tied for the team lead). He had a highlight one-handed interception against the University of Florida. On November 17, 2020, following the dismissal of head coach Will Muschamp, Mukuamu opted out of the remainder 3 games of the season to focus on his preparation for the 2021 NFL Draft.[10] He finished his college career after appearing in 31 games with 19 starts, while making 86 tackles, 7 interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

Israel Mukuamu
Year School Conf Class Pos G Tackles INT Pass Def TD
2018 South Carolina SEC FR DB 5 17 1 1 0
2019 South Carolina SEC SO DB 12 59 4 9 1
2020 South Carolina SEC JR DB 5 10 2 0 0
Career 86 7 10 1

Professional career
Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand spanVertical jumpBroad jumpBench press
6 ft 4+1⁄8 in
(1.93 m)		 212 lb
(96 kg)		 34 in
(0.86 m)		 9+3⁄8 in
(0.24 m)		36.5 in
(0.93 m)		9 ft 11 in
(3.02 m)		13 reps
All values from Pro Day[11][12]

Mukuamu was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round (227th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft, with the intention of playing him at safety.[13] He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021.[14]

Personal life

His father Muana “Charles” Mukuamu was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and competed in Judo.[15]

References
  1. "2022 Dallas Cowboys Media Guide" (PDF). NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  2. Morale III, Amos (May 5, 2017). "Parkway 2018 S Israel Mukuamu lands new offers in new state". NOLA.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  3. "South Carolina football: Israel Mukuamu returns home". The Charlotte Observer. January 22, 2018. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  4. Kornblut, Phil (December 4, 2017). "Former Berkeley standout Israel Mukuamu decommits from Florida State". Post and Courier. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  5. "Israel Mukuamu commits to South Carolina Gamecocks". The State. December 9, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  6. Del Bianco, John (August 12, 2019). "Horn, Mukuamu injecting 'contagious' habits, 'nasty' play". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  7. Del Bianco, John (March 7, 2020). "Versatility goes up for Mukuamu if teammates show improvement". 247Sports.com. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  8. Culpepper, Chuck (October 14, 2019). "College football has a defensive superstar to properly appreciate: Israel Mukuamu". Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  9. "Pro Football Focus has Mukuamu as best South Carolina returning player". The State. April 5, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  10. Scarborough, Alex (November 16, 2020). "South Carolina top CBs Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu opt out to focus on NFL draft". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  11. "Israel Mukuamu Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  12. "Israel Mukuamu, South Carolina, CB, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  13. Phillips, Rob (May 1, 2021). "6th-Round Pick Israel Mukuamu Follows CB Trend". DallasCowboys.com. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  14. Eatman, Nick (May 13, 2021). "Cowboys Officially Sign 4 Draft Picks Before Camp". Dallas Cowboys. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  15. "The hard choice that set in motion Israel Mukuamu's journey to the Gamecocks". The State. September 17, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
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