| Olakunle Fatukasi | |
| Current Team: | Los Angeles Rams |
| Number: | 54 |
| Position: | Linebacker |
| Birth Date: | 11 June 1999 |
| Birth Place: | Far Rockaway, New York, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lb: | 240 |
| High School: | Grand Street Campus (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College: | Rutgers (2017–2021) |
| Undraftedyear: | 2022 |
| Pastteams: |
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| Status: | Active |
| Highlights: |
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| Statseason: | 2023 |
| Statlabel1: | Total tackles |
| Statvalue1: | 7 |
| Pfr: | FatuOl00 |
Olakunle Fatukasi (born June 11, 1999) is an American football linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Rutgers.
Fatukasi committed to Rutgers as a three star recruit[1] in 2016 as a part of their 2017 class. In His freshman year, he appeared in all twelve of Rutgers’ games. In 2018 he appeared in eleven games compiling twenty tackles between linebacker and special teams. In 2019 he contributed in all twelve games Rutgers played starting ten of them at weak-side linebacker. In the covid season of 2020 his first under Greg Schiano, Fatukasi was named a team captain. He started all nine games and led the Big Ten Conference in tackles. At one point during the season he was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive player of the week. He was named as a semifinalists for the Butkus Award and earned First-team All-Big Ten from the media and second-team from the coaches. He came back to Rutgers for the 2021 season,[2] [3] [4] due to the NCAA COVID-19 exemption.[5] It was announced he would be switching from outside to inside linebacker for the 2021 season. He finished the 2021 season named third-team all Big Ten even though he missed multiple games due to injury.
Fatukasi signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent on May 13, 2022.[6] He made the Buccaneers' initial 53-man roster out of training camp. He played in 13 games before being waived on December 13, 2022.[7]
On December 16, 2022, Fatukasi was signed to the practice squad of the Denver Broncos.[8] On January 11, 2023, Fatukasi was released by the Broncos.[9]
On January 18, 2023, Fatukasi signed a reserve/future contract with the New England Patriots.[10] On August 12, Fatukasi was waived by the Patriots.[11]
On August 15, 2023, Fatukasi signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.[12] He was waived with injury designation on August 29. He reverted to the Chiefs' injured reserve after going unclaimed on waivers.[13] On September 1, he was released from injured reserve after reaching an injury settlement with the Chiefs.[14]
Fatukasi signed with the Los Angeles Rams practice squad on October 11, 2023.[15] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 15, 2024.[16]
Fatukasi is of Nigerian descent. He has two brothers, his younger brother Tunde, previously played at Rutgers and now plays at Bowling Green.[17] His older brother, Folorunso played football at UConn and currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars.[18] [19] He has his own t-shirt company called O3.