Ziggy Ansah Bio: College, NFL, 49ers & Net Worth
By Natalie Ross
Ziggy Ansah Bio: College, NFL, 49ers & Net Worth
November 7, 2026
This article was last updated by Krisha Shrestha on June 16, 2026
Ziggy Ansah is a National Football League(NFL) professional football player. Moreover, he has served as a defensive end for many famous NFL teams.
The footballer’s career in the league started after the Detroit Lions drafted him in the first round. After six seasons with the Lion, he signed with the Seattle Seahawks for a year.
Later, he joined the San Francisco 49ers for the 2026 season. Currently, he is a free agent.
Besides that, he played collegiate football for Brigham Young University. He was an exceptional player for the BYU Cougars.
Ziggy AnsahFurthermore, Ziggy had no idea about American football until his youth. Correspondingly, he had only played soccer.
Not to mention, he was more interested in basketball than other sports. However, when he landed in America, he had to change his interests and priorities.
After playing collegiate football at BYU, he received well-deserved attention for his skills. Relying on the positive responses, he chose to enter the 2013 NFL Drafts, and the rest is history.
The Ghanaian American player is one of the most hard-working players in the league. As a result, he was selected for the 2015 Pro Bowl.
Before getting into details about the 49ers’ defensive end’s life and career, here are some quick facts about him.
Quick Facts:
Ziggy Ansah | Early Life, Family, And Education
Ziggy Ansah was born in Accra, Ghana. His parents are Edward Ansah and Elizabeth Ansah.
Furthermore, the footballer’s Father was a sales manager for a petroleum Company. Meanwhile, his mother served as a nurse in a local hospital.
Besides that, Ezekiel has three brothers and a sister. His sister Elizabeth Gidding resides in London.
In 2014, the Ghanaian American player surprised his sister during a London trip. He had not met her in over six years. For the first time, he meets his nephew since he was born.
The athlete had a pretty productive childhood. Moreover, he was quite into sports, and his parents always encouraged him to pursue them.
The defensive end attended Golden Sunbeam Montessori School. As a school-going student in Ghana, he played soccer and basketball and ran tracks.
After that, Ziggy completed his high school education at Presbyterian Boys’ Senior Secondary School. He played almost all sports except for American football.
Ansah was particularly interested in basketball. He developed his skills while playing for the Forever Young Foundation’s turf.
Likewise, he became a good friend of an LDS church missionary who visited his school. They kept in touch after the minister returned to the States.
Later, the LDS church missionary encouraged him to play basketball at Brigham Youth University.
Eventually, he attended BYU but engaged with the football team rather than the basketball team.
Ziggy Ansah | Age, Height, And Weight
The footballer turned 36 years old on May 29, 2026. As an athlete, he takes excellent care of his health, physique, and diet.
Hence, he is pretty fit and has a well-developed physique. Besides that, he is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 275 lb, i.e., 125 kg.
Ziggy Ansah | High School And College Career
Initially, the NFL player attended Golden Sunbeam Montessori School, where he played basketball and various sports. With the school’s basketball team, he won multiple awards and honors.
Moreover, he even won the Most Valuable Player award. After that, Ziggy joined Presbyterian Boys’ Senior Secondary School to play high school basketball.
Ansah was also on the track and field sports team. Following his high school graduation, the footballer served as a teaching assistant at Golden Sunbeam.
Ziggy Ansah While Playing For The BYU Cougars’ Men’s Football TeamThen he came to BYU with the assistance of Golden Sunbeam and mentored Alma Ohene Opare. She also helped the athlete settle and adjust in America.
The team rejected him twice when Ezekiel applied for BYU’s basketball program. After much convincing, he tried out for BYU’s football program.
To his surprise, the football team selected him. However, he had to learn the game from its very basics and even needed help to put on his pads.
Nevertheless, in a short period, he became familiar with all the rules and techniques. Hence, he had an outstanding collegiate career after that.
Ziggy Ansah | NFL Career
Detroit Lions
Following his collegiate career, Ziggy entered the 2012 NFL Draft. In the beginning, his chances of being drafted were meager.
Nevertheless, he was an Outstanding Defensive Player in the 2013 Senior Bowl by the end of the year.
Shortly after, NFLDraftScout.com ranked Ansah the top defensive end and the seventh-best player.
Finally, the Lions drafted Ezekiel in the first round as the fifth pick overall. He also signed a four-year contract worth $18.59 million with the Detroit team.
In his first season, he led the NFL rookies with eight sacks. Furthermore, the former Cougar received the Mel Farr Rookie of the Year honors.
Ezekiel “Ziggy” AnsahThe following season, the Ghanaian American played in his first playoff game, where he tackled twice. Not to mention, the 49ers player was named to the Pro Bowl in 2015.
After that, the defensive end made his first sack against in the 2016 season. However, a severe shoulder injury halted his flourishing career in 2018.
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Seattle Seahawks
After taking much-needed time for recovery, he signed a one-year contract with the Seahawks. Moreover, the deal was worth $9 million.
Nevertheless, his injury bothered him the entire season, and he could not give his best. On top of that, he missed many games in the 2019 season.
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San Francisco 49ers
Following a disappointing season with the Seahawks, Ansah signed a one-year deal with the 49ers. However, he sustained a tear in his biceps leading him to miss the entirety of the season.
Furthermore, his one-year contract with the San Francisco team is ending. Nevertheless, there is no information on whether he would stay with the team.
Summary Career Stats
Learn more about his stats and draft profile on .
Who is Ziggy Ansah girlfriend? Marriage, Wife, And Kids
As per different sources, the former Lions player is not dating anyone. The 49ers player is currently single and not linked with anyone.
Furthermore, he is entirely concentrated on his career growth and improvements. As a result, the NFL player has very little time to focus on his dating life.
Besides that, his job requires him to travel to many places for a brief period. So, Ansah rarely gets time to know the people he meets.
Currently, the player’s injuries are bothering him. Hence, his only goal is to recover and return to the field.
It is safe to say that wedding bells and baby cries are a little far-sighted for the defensive end.
Don’t Forget To Check Out Lions’ Tigh-End: <<TJ Hockenson Bio: NFL Draft, Net Worth, Injury, Pro Bowl>>
Ziggy Ansah | Net Worth And Salary
The 49ers’ defensive end has built impressive wealth amount through football. Furthermore, Ezekiel earned most of his wealth by playing for major NFL teams.
Ziggy’s net worth estimation is over $40 million. Moreover, he has earned over $58 million throughout his NFL career.
Besides that, his annual salary was over $12 million and $17 million in 2017 and 2018. Upon his draft, he signed a four-year contract worth $18.59 million with the Lions.
The athlete also received a signing bonus worth $11.90 million. Aside from that, he earns a fair amount through sponsorships. Many well-known brands and companies endorse him.
Ziggy Ansah | Social Media Presence
The former Lions player is quite active on social media platforms. Hence, the 49er’s defensive end has an account with over 71 thousand followers.
Ziggy usually shares pictures of him playing, tackling, and making history on the field.
As the Ezekiel Ansah Foundation founder, he promotes his foundation’s activities on his handle.
Furthermore, the defensive end also loves to post pictures of his adorable family. He also promotes Ghanaian culture from his account.
The athlete recently paid tribute to the late and his daughter Gianna Bryant on their death anniversary.
Moreover, he posted a beautiful photo of the father-daughter duo with the caption, “Only Jah knows.”
Likewise, he is active on with over 42 thousand followers. The footballer joined in 2013 but has less than a thousand tweets.
Ansah is relatively less active on his Twitter handle. Nevertheless, he has shared a lot of football-related news and highlights.
Moreover, the former Seahawk shares many of his Instagram posts on Twitter. Aside from that, many high-profile players and celebrities follow him.
Some FAQs:
What is Ziggy Ansah’s highest NFL Madden 20 rating?
Ziggy Ansah has an overall madden rating of #88 on Madden NFL 20.
Has Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah retired?
No, the NFL player has not quit just yet.
What happened to Ziggy Ansah?
In Week 4 of the 2026 season, Ansah tore his biceps in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The injury led the defensive end to miss the rest of the 2026 season.
What number is Ziggy Ansah?
The footballer has worn number 94 throughout his NFL career. He had maintained the same jersey number despite playing with three different teams.
When was Ziggy Ansah drafted?
The Detroit Lions drafted Ansah in 2013. The defensive end went from knowing nothing about football to being one of the top NFL prospects.
The Lions selected Ezekiel in the first round as the fifth pick overall. After that, he played six seasons with the team before parting ways.
When did Ziggy Ansah have his knee surgery?
The footballer had his knee surgery in 2018.
Did Ziggy Ansah resign with Seattle Seahawks?
No, Ziggy Ansah hasn’t resigned from Seattle Seahawks. He is currently a free agent. However, Ziggy mentioned during one of his interviews saying that the Seattle Seahawks are a perfect team for him. He said,
“It’s a great organization. Seattle is known for its defense. I had to put a few things together and thought it was a perfect fit for me.”
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My name is Urusha Niroula. I have been working as a writer at [SITEURL] since September 2026. I have always had a great fondness for English writing, speaking, and reading. Furthermore, my hobbies include going on walks and short rides, watching Netflix, and sometimes sitting idly.
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