Introduction
David Famiyekyi Yankey (born 18 January 1992) is an American football offensive guard for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Stanford, where he was a two-time consensus All-American. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round, 145th overall of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Early years
Yankey attended Centennial High School in Roswell, Georgia, where he earned four varsity letters playing as an offensive lineman for head coach Jeff Measor. He was a three-time All-region selection. As a senior, he earned honorable mention All-state honors. He also earned Centennial's Excalibur Award, an award that honors excellence in athletics, character, and leadership.
Regarded as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Yankey was ranked as the No. 47 offensive tackle in his class, while Scout.com rated him as the 44th best offensive tackle in the nation.
College career
Yankey attended Stanford University, where he played for coach Jim Harbaugh and coach David Shaw's Stanford Cardinal football teams from 2010 to 2013. He was a consensus All-American in 2012 and 2013. He announced on 13 January 2014, that he would forgo his senior season and enter the 2014 NFL Draft.
Professional career
| Ht | Wt | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 6 in | 315 lb | 34 in | 9 1⁄2 in | 5.48 s | 1.86 s | 3.13 s | 4.69 s | 7.81 s | 30 in | 8 ft 7 in | 25 reps | ||||||||
| All values from NFL Combine and Pro Day | |||||||||||||||||||
Minnesota Vikings
Yankey was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round (145 pick overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft. The Vikings got the pick used to take Yankey from the Browns when they traded down in the first round to the No. 9 pick while giving the Browns the No. 8 pick.
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers signed Yankey to a futures contract on January 12, 2016. On September 3, 2016, he was waived by the Panthers as part of final roster cuts. The next day he was signed to the Panthers' practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on November 25, 2016.
Personal life
Yankey was born in Sydney, Australia to David and Darina Yankey. He retained his Australian citizenship after his family moved to Roswell, Georgia when he was eight. Yankey spent his off-season working out at East Roswell Park and playing canasta with his friends on Fouts Road. Yankey loves liking his best friend's ex-girlfriends pictures on Instagram, and is wearing cleats to support degenerative disc in honor of his friend Erik.