3 things to know about Cleveland Browns No. 98 overall draft pick Baylor's Siaki Ika
BEREA — The Browns had a long time to wait to make their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, not picking until No. 74 in the third round. The wait wasn't nearly as long to get to their second pick.
With the 98th pick in the draft, one of the third-round compensatory picks, the Browns took Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika. He joins University of Tennessee receiver Cedric Tillman, taken at No. 74, as the newest addition to the roster.
Ika is obviously a continuation of the Browns' overhaul of the defensive tackle room. He's also another shift in philosophy with what they're looking for at that position, as he's a massive 6-foot-3, 335 pounds.
What are the Browns getting with their newest defensive tackle? Here are three things to know about Ika.
Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman at No. 74: Cleveland Browns select Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman with No. 74 pick of 2023 NFL Draft
Baylor DT Siaki Ika picked at No. 98: Cleveland Browns select Baylor D-tackle Siaki Ika with No. 98 pick in 2023 NFL Draft
Siaki Ika has a national championship pedigree from his time at LSU
Ika may have completed his career with the Big 12 Baylor Bears. However, he got his start in the heart of the SEC.
Specifically, Ika began as a true freshman playing for LSU's 2019 national championship team. He played in 13 games for the Tigers at nose tackle, with 17 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
When his defensive coordinator at LSU, Dave Aranda, left after that season to become the head coach at Baylor, Ika followed along. Still, the time he spent in Baton Rouge left an impression on general manager Andrew Berry.
"Honestly, his power just really stood out, even with the LSU film," Berry said. "I mean, even at a young age, he was a pretty big human being. And even though he didn't necessarily know what he was doing, he was just kind of part of the rotation, you could see really a big disruptive presence in the middle of the line of scrimmages. And when he was really allowed to attack in the manner that we're going to ask our defense line to do, so we thought the skills were certainly transferrable."
Siaki Ika's nickname comes courtesy of the movie 'Aladdin'
Ika is better known to most of his family and friends by his nickname, "Apu." It's a nickname that has followed him since he was a baby.
It was his older sister who gave Ika the name. It was because of what she believed was a resemblance between her brother and the character "Abu" from the Disney movie "Aladdin."
Siaki Ika's family migrated from the islands of Tonga to Salt Lake City
Ika's Polynesian heritage is something that's very strong to him. His parents, Falakesi Kiola and Selu Loiola, migrated from the islands of Tonga to Utah, which is home to a large Polynesian community.
“That’s one of my favorite things about me is how much in tune I am with my family and the Polynesian community in Utah,” Ika told the Waco Tribune Herald in September 2022. “That’s what I love about where I grew up. I have a lot of friends who didn’t grow up around that. They want it so bad. They see how in tune we are with culture and different traditional attire and activities. It’s a part of history and knowing where you come from.”
It was through that community that Ika's initial route into college football was going to be at nearby BYU. He committed as a high school freshman to the Cougars and head coach Kalani Sitake, only to change his mind later to LSU.
Beyond Ika's three older brothers, all of whom played football, he has credited other pro and college football players of Polynesian descent for leading the way. Among those include the Baltimore Ravens' Ma’ake Kemoeatu and Seattle Seahawks' Manu Tuiasosopo.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 3 things to know about Cleveland Browns draft pick Siaki Ika of Baylor
