Junior Aho (born February 2, 1999) is a French professional American football nose tackle for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the SMU Mustangs.[1]

Junior Aho
No. 79 – Atlanta Falcons
Position:defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1999-02-02) February 2, 1999 (age 25)
Nice, France
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:272 lb (123 kg)
Career information
College:NMMI (2019)
SMU (2020–2022)
CFL draft:2023G / round: 2 / pick: 16
Undrafted:2023
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Practice squad
Stats at Pro Football Reference

College career

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In his college career, he recorded 43 tackles with 7.5 going for a loss, five sacks, and two forced fumbles, in three years with the SMU Mustangs.[2]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 2+14 in
(1.89 m)
260 lb
(118 kg)
33+78 in
(0.86 m)
9 in
(0.23 m)
4.59 s 1.66 s 2.65 s 4.90 s 7.38 s 33.5 in
(0.85 m)
10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m)
All values from Pro Day[3]

Minnesota Vikings

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After not being selected in the 2023 NFL draft, Aho signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent through the NFL's International Player Pathway Program.[4] Additionally, he was drafted (16th overall) by the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in the 2023 CFL Global Draft. He was waived by the Vikings on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad.[5][6] He was not signed to a reserve/future contract and became a free agent at the end of the season.[7]

Carolina Panthers

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Aho signed with the Carolina Panthers on May 20, 2024.[8] He was waived/injured on August 27, 2024.[9]

Atlanta Falcons

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On October 14, 2024, Aho signed with the Atlanta Falcons practice squad.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Junior Aho". ESPN. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Junior Aho College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  3. ^ "Junior Aho College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  4. ^ Ragatz, Will (May 4, 2023). "SMU OLB Junior Aho joins Vikings via NFL's International Player Pathway Program". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  5. ^ Peters, Craig (August 29, 2023). "Vikings Set Initial 53-Man Roster for 2023". Vikings.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  6. ^ Peters, Craig (August 30, 2023). "Vikings Sign 12 Players to 2023 Practice Squad". Vikings.com. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Harrison, Jonathan (January 8, 2024). "Here are the 10 players the Vikings signed to futures contracts". Sports Illustrated.
  8. ^ "Panthers sign French defensive lineman Junior Aho as their international player". Yahoo Sports. May 20, 2024.
  9. ^ Gantt, Darin (August 27, 2024). "Panthers make moves to get to initial 53-man roster". Panthers.com.
  10. ^ "Falcons sign defensive lineman to 16-man practice squad". Falcons Wire. USA Today. October 14, 2024.
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