Cowboys Sign Ghana-born DE Ekuban

01:42 p.m Jul 27, 1999 Eastern

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (Reuters) - Defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, who may be a key player immediately for the Dallas Cowboys, Tuesday signed his first NFL contract and reported to training camp. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The selection of the 6-4, 261-pounder marked the second straight year that the Cowboys took a defensive end from North Carolina in the first round. Ekuban, the 20th overall selection, and former college teammate Greg Ellis, will hope to fill the void left by Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leon Lett, who is facing a likely suspension from the NFL.

Dallas traded up on draft day to get Ekuban, 23, dealing the 22nd overall selection and a fifth-round pick previously acquired from the Carolina Panthers to the Seattle Seahawks.

In addition to Lett's troubles, the Cowboys lost defensive tackles Hurvin McCormack and Antonio Anderson in the expansion draft, leaving them in dire need of help.

Ekuban, who was born in Ghana, is a former tight end who played only two years at defensive end. He had 40 tackles and an impressive five sacks as a senior, showing excellent outside speed. The Cowboys recently timed him at 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Off the field, Ekuban won the Jim Tatum Award, given to the top student-athlete playing football in the Atlantic Coast Conference.