Coming out undrafted from Western Colorado to a nine-year NFL veteran, Austin Ekeler‘s NFL journey has been nothing short of incredible. But if we go back to the time when he was coming out of college, Ekeler’s phenomenal career was nothing so promising that it would land him in the NFL spotlight. In an EssentiallySports Exclusive Interview with host Andrew Whitelaw, the Washington Commanders running back has now peeled back the curtain on that moment, offering an honest admission.

When Whitelaw asked, “How did going undrafted affect your mindset? Did that help you go on to achieve everything you’ve achieved?” Ekeler didn’t flinch. “You know, I think the undrafted, you know, I think, uh, path was kind of laid out for me, but almost kind of the story of my life before then as well. Uh, you know, I went to a small division two school, so I didn’t I wasn’t highly recruited coming out of high school either. So, I had a small opportunity at Western Colorado University, the only college that offered me to go play. And it was an opportunity,” he told. That truth hit hard.

He reminded us that he wasn’t highly recruited in high school either, or Western Colorado was literally the only school that gave him a chance. “So, I took it, and I tried to make the most of it. I was able to do that, and it led to another opportunity, which was his scouts coming to my practices back in college. I was the first person from my school to ever go to the NFL.”

The honesty continued as Ekeler walked us through draft weekend in the EssentiallySports Exclusive Interview. “And you know, when the draft went through, I absolutely watched it and was crossing my fingers in that seventh round, maybe I’ll get a spot. Um, it didn’t come, but I knew I had make it made an impact enough that there were teams that were interested in me. And so that still gave me confidence that I’ll have another opportunity at the NFL level, which ended up having it.”

And that opportunity was the Los Angeles Chargers. Signed as a priority free agent in 2017, Ekeler inked a three-year, $1.66 million deal with a $5,000 signing bonus. Hardly the fanfare of a first-round pick, but enough for him to wedge his foot in the NFL’s door.

From there, he says, the mindset was simple: “I think that experience of going from co-high school to college, I was really fired up about, you know, exploring that opportunity, maximizing it. same thing from college to the pros was, hey, here’s my opportunity. It’s not massive. It’s not really something that’s established, but it’s something for me to hopefully grow and, uh, turn into something.”

That something became one of the league’s best dual-threat résumés. Across seven seasons with the Chargers, he logged 4,355 rushing yards and 3,884 receiving yards. Becoming the first player in NFL history to hit 30 rushing and 30 receiving touchdowns in just seven years. Austin Ekeler even led the league in total touchdowns in both 2021 and 2022. But the Bolts didn’t see his worth when it came time for an extension.

So, when the Commanders‘ new GM Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn called in 2024, Ekeler was in. He carried 77 times for 367 yards and four touchdowns in his first season in Washington. Added 35 receptions for 366 yards. Logging 594 kick-return yards across 12 games. His $11.43 million deal with $8.34 million guaranteed reflected his true value. Giving him the fresh start he wanted.

Then came the gut punch. In Week 2 of 2025, Washington’s 27-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers ended with Austin Ekeler collapsing to the turf. A torn Achilles shut down his season—maybe even his career.

Did Austin Ekeler see the end coming before the Achilles did?

Austin Ekeler sat across from us during an EssentiallySports Exclusive Interview a month ago and admitted how retirement had already crossed his mind. When host Whitelaw asked the 30-year-old about life after football, he didn’t dodge and went straight at it.

“Yeah, absolutely, you know, I have two years, so I’m in my second of my two-year deal out here, so looking forward to putting our best foot forward this year, making another run. We got a little bit of unfinished business,” he told us. The words felt heavy then. But now, with his torn Achilles ending that “unfinished business” in a snap, they feel almost like a warning he gave us.

Ekeler wasn’t hiding from the reality that shadows every veteran in year nine. “Once you get to year nine, I feel like you got to reevaluate your mental and your body health after every single season,” he explained. It’s the harsh math of football. Contracts shrink, and questions about durability grow. Even the strongest must whisper the hardest question to themselves… ‘Do I want to go another season?’

For Ekeler, the answer isn’t just about his legs anymore. “I’m married now, and so there’s other factors that start to play into it,” he admitted. For a man who carved his way into the Chargers’ lineup and earned the nickname “Pound for Pound” as the strongest man on the roster, this wasn’t weakness. It was perspective.

And yet, Austin Ekeler isn’t the type to stand still. As he told us, his next climb might not even be on the gridiron. “If it starts taking off, you know, am I ready to make a transition? Because we’re going to be doing leagues for basketball, baseball, hockey, things like that as well,” he revealed about his side project, the “charity draft.”

Take doubt. Spin it into opportunity. And build something from the ground up. But destiny has a way of cutting the line. Not long after finding a new home in Washington, the game he fought tooth and nail to stay in may have already written his final chapter.