Five things to know about Dallas Cowboys-bound Boston College star Donovan Ezeiruaku - The Boston Globe (2025)

Ezeiruaku inherited a strong work ethic from his parents, Cindy and Sonyx. He couldn’t go to football practice unless he finished his homework and brought home good grades.

“They were pretty hard on us,” Ezeiruaku said. “It’s not the easiest thing, having four Black boys growing up here. They raised us to be very respectful, polite, and caring young men.”

Cindy has worked at a behavior health organization for 27 years and often takes overnight shifts to support the family. Sonyx is from Nigeria, moved to the United States in the early 1990s, and became an entrepreneur.

Ezeiruaku grew up going to Nigerian church with his family, and they regularly eat Nigerian food and listen to Nigerian music.

He was fiercely competitive at a young age, and not just in sports. Whether it was liturgical dancing at church, singing with his “raspy voice,” or getting better grades than his siblings, he did everything in his power to win.

“He always made sure he put his best foot forward,” Cindy said.

Without a humbling junior year — in which he registered just two sacks after compiling 8½ the year prior — Ezeiruaku may have never emerged as the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year his senior season.

“It was really frustrating, obviously,” Ezeiruaku said. “I talked about it going into this year, about me going back to doing what got me here, just playing football, having fun. Flying around and making plays.”

Ezeiruaku was projected as a middle-round pick, but as he dominated this past year, his draft stock soared.

He led the nation in regular-season sacks with 16.5, which tied the BC single-season record. His 20.5 tackles for loss placed him second in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“Last year, having a season like that, with all the expectations, that can be very demoralizing for a person,” Ezeiruaku said. “Being able to bounce back definitely speaks volumes.”

Doug Marrone, who was Boston College’s senior analyst for football strategy last year, mentored Ezeiruaku and played a behind-the-scenes role in his tremendous season.

Marrone, now the Patriots’ offensive line coach, helped him develop his pass-rush skills and develop a pass-rush plan every game.

“Donovan did a great job of putting that plan into action,” Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien said. “He did an unbelievable job. He never quit, he never gave up. He actually won us a couple games single-handedly.”

Ezeiruaku shined at the NFL Scouting Combine, securing the top times in the three-cone drill (6.94) and 20-yard shuttle (4.19) among all defensive ends.

He posted a 9-foot-11-inch broad jump and 35.5-inch vertical as well. Ezeiruaku dazzled scouts so much that he was confident he had done enough and elected to skip Pro Day as a result. It wasn’t easy to stand on the sideline.

“My guys are out here doing their thing,” Ezeiruaku said. “I definitely got that competitive itch.”

The Cowboys have one of the most dynamic edge rushers in the game in Micah Parsons.

Ezeiruaku will have a chance to learn from Parsons and could mesh nicely with him in Dallas. The Cowboys had the third-most sacks in the NFL last year with 52, and Ezeiruaku will try to help take the operation to the next level.

Trevor Hass can be reached at trevor.hass@globe.com. Follow him on X @TrevorHass.