Hall of Fame
Primarily known as Obi, the four-year cornerback for the Western New England Football team was an anchor of the Golden Bear secondary during the 2013-2016 seasons, which included two conference championships and an NCAA Tournament win in 2016 against Husson University, the first in program history.
Etuka would be a mainstay on the defense his rookie year, but he announced his presence during the 2014 season, his sophomore campaign, when he was named to the All-New England Football Conference (NEFC) First Team, as well as the ECAC Division III All-New England First Team. His success contributed to the overall team's success, as the team improved its record by four wins, going 8-2 overall.
Etuka produced another standout year during his junior campaign as the cornerback from Middletown, Connecticut led the Golden Bears defense to unprecedented numbers. The WNE defense allowed 10 points or fewer in five of its eleven games on the year, and had an undefeated, 10-0, regular season, winning the CCC Championship for the first time since 2011. The Golden Bears would go to the NCAA Tournament that season, returning to the big dance for the first time since the aforementioned 2011 season. Etuka was named NEFC Defensive Player of the Year and was a member of the NEFC First Team, following the announcement of postseason awards. Along with those honors, the cornerback for the Golden Bears was named to the New England Football Writers Division II/III All-Star Team and D3football.com's All-East Region Third Team.
Etuka's senior season was one of the best the program has seen in its history. Etuka helped lead WNE to an 11-1 record, which included another undefeated regular season and an NCAA Tournament win in the first round versus Husson University. The Golden Bear defense held four teams to ten or fewer points on the year. Upon the season's conclusion, Etuka was named to D3football.com's All-East Region First Team and to the New England Football Writers' Association's Division II/Division III All-New England Team. D3football.com named Etuka as an All-American Honorable Mention, and the American Football Coaches Association named him as a Second Team All-American, which made him the seventh All-American in program history. The phenom cornerback ended his career with a program-record 21 interceptions, with those interceptions being returned for a total of 244 yards. After his senior season, Etuka was recognized by the WNE Athletics Department as its 2017 Male Coca-Cola Athlete of the Year.
