{{Short description|American football player (born 1990)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Zeke Motta | image = Zeke Motta 2013 02.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Motta with the Atlanta Falcons in 2013 | number = 41 | position = Safety | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|05|14}} | birth_place = Vero Beach, Florida, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lbs = 215 | high_school = Vero Beach (FL)<ref name="highschool"/> | college = Notre Dame | draftyear = 2013 | draftround = 7 | draftpick = 244 | pastteams = * Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|2013}}–{{NFL Year|2014}}) | statlabel1 = Total tackles | statvalue1 = 16 | statlabel4 = Pass deflections | statvalue4 = 1 | pfr = M/MottZe00 }}
'''Ezekiel Ranieri Motta''' (born May 14, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a safety for two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL draft. He played college football at Notre Dame.
==Early life== Motta attended Vero Beach High School in Vero Beach, Florida, where he was teammates with Bryan Stork.<ref name="highschool">{{cite news |last1=Foster |first1=Fran |title=Life lessons along the way |url=https://www.tcpalm.com/story/specialty-publications/vero-beach/2017/06/07/life-lessons-along-way/357660001/ |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=TC Palm |date=June 7, 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="life after football">{{cite news |title=Vero Beach sports hero faces life after football |url=https://veronews.com/2015/08/27/my-vero-vero-beach-sports-hero-faces-life-after-football/ |access-date=14 December 2024 |work=Vero News |date=27 August 2015 |language=en-CA}}</ref> He tallied 137 tackles including eight tackles for a loss and three sacks during senior campaign at Vero Beach High School, and was named first-team Class 6A all-state as a senior. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas in 2009.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pfahler |first1=Laurel |title=Vero Beach's Motta likes to push the right buttons |url=http://archive.tcpalm.com/sports/vero-beachs-motta-likes-to-push-the-right-buttons-ep-404955237-349273721.html |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=TCpalm |date=November 22, 2007 |language=en}}</ref> Considered a four-star recruit by ''Rivals.com'', he was rated the No. 5 outside linebacker prospect in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Zeke-Motta-82016 |title=Zeke Motta - Yahoo! Sports |access-date=2014-04-19 |archive-date=2014-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421034449/https://sports.yahoo.com/footballrecruiting/football/recruiting/player-Zeke-Motta-82016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He accepted a scholarship offer from Notre Dame over offers from Auburn and Boston College.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hamilton |first1=Brian |title=Motta a man of his word(s) |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/ct-xpm-2012-09-20-ct-spt-0921-notre-dame-football-20120921-story.html |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=20 September 2012}}</ref>
==College career== In 2009, Motta was one of three freshmen to play in every game. He mostly contributed primarily on special teams and also moved back and forth between outside linebacker and safety, and recorded 12 tackles. As a sophomore, he played in all 13 games, in which he started 8. He totalled 50 tackles (30 solo, 20 assisted) which ranked seventh on the team. He added one and a half tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, one interception and two pass breakups. In his junior season, he played in all 13 games, starting eight at safety. He tallied 40 tackles, one interception, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In his final season, he tallied 77 total tackles, including 16 in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against the Alabama Crimson Tide.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ulm |first1=Cody |title=BCS Championship: Zeke Motta ready for final game |url=https://chicago.sbnation.com/notre-dame-football/2012/12/29/3815278/zeke-motta-notre-dame-bcs-championship-game |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=SB Nation Chicago |date=29 December 2012 |language=en |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605025138/https://chicago.sbnation.com/notre-dame-football/2012/12/29/3815278/zeke-motta-notre-dame-bcs-championship-game |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wells |first1=Dusenbury |title=Vero Beach's Zeke Motta and father will share one last Irish moment at BCS title game |url=http://www.espnwestpalm.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=6241 |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=ESPN West Palm |date=January 7, 2013 |archive-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605034342/http://www.espnwestpalm.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=6241 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also had two tackles for loss, three pass break ups, four pass deflections and a fumble recovery.
==Professional career== {{NFL predraft | height ft = 6 | height in = 2+1/4 | weight = 213 | dash = 4.83 | ten split = | twenty split = | shuttle = 4.16 | cone drill = 6.75 | vertical = 35.5 | broad ft = 10 | broad in = 6 | bench = 11 | arm span = 31+3/8 | hand span = 9+1/4 | wonderlic = | note = All values from NFL Combine<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=89717&DraftYear=2013|title=Zeke Motta, Notre Dame, SS, 2013 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football|website=draftscout.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://insider.espn.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/29532|title=Zeke Motta|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> }}
He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the seventh round (244th overall) of the 2013 NFL draft.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Santucci |first1=Jon |title=Vero Beach High School graduate Zeke Motta drafted by Atlanta Falcons |url=http://archive.tcpalm.com/news/vero-beach-high-school-graduate-zeke-motta-drafted-by-atlanta-falcons--photo-gallery-ep-380621569-342579952.html |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=TC palm |date=April 27, 2013 |language=en}}</ref> He signed with the Falcons on May 17, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefalcoholic.com/2013/5/17/4340818/falcons-lock-up-seventh-round-pick-zeke-motta|title=Falcons Ink Zeke Motta|first=Dave|last=Choate|date=May 17, 2013|website=The Falcoholic}}</ref> On April 2, 2015, he was waived by the Falcons.<ref name="life after football"/> In 2017, Motta filed a personal-injury lawsuit against Falcons doctors over inadequate treatment.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walters |first1=Courtney |title=Former Falcon Says Doctors Let Him Play Hurt |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/former-falcon-says-doctors-let-him-play-hurt/ |access-date=5 June 2020 |date=12 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Former Vero High football star suing over NFL injury |url=http://veronews.com/2016/06/09/former-vero-high-football-star-suing-over-nfl-injury/ |access-date=5 June 2020 |work=Vero News |date=9 June 2016 |language=en-CA}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Zeke Motta}} *[http://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/roster/Zeke-Motta/1a2850d3-f6dd-4a56-91d9-b8b61de58bad Atlanta Falcons bio] *[http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/motta_zeke01.html Notre Dame Fighting Irish bio]
{{Atlanta Falcons 2013 draft navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Motta, Zeke}} Category:Living people Category:1990 births Category:American football safeties Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Category:Sportspeople from Vero Beach, Florida Category:Players of American football from Florida Category:Atlanta Falcons players Category:Vero Beach High School alumni