On Wednesday, American three-star linebacker Noah Knigga formally signed with the Eagles, surrounded by his proud parents, Ryan and Staci Shipley Knigga, and friends who cheered in support.
Although the football star had multiple offers from different universities lined up, he honored his commitment to the Eagles, staying true to his pledge back in June.
While the Eastern Michigan Eagles welcomed Noah Knigga with a quote, “Needed a stud at LB, and we Noah guy. @noah_knigga10 (Noah Knigga) just made it OFFICIAL!” the football star thanked his parents and friends for their support. He wrote,
National Signing Day!! Thank you to all the Family, Friends, and Coaches that came to support. Also congratulations to my sister on continuing her volleyball journey at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Congratulations are in order now that 6’2″, 210-pound Knigga is all set to play for the Eagles. However, it appears that besides his impressive football career at Lawrenceburg High School, he is receiving wide recognition for his peculiar surname, Knigga.
Moreover, netizens are very excited to hear how commentators will try to pronounce his name during the live events.
One wrote, “When will you be selling jerseys,” while another joked, “I know what Jersey I want for Christmas.” Likewise, another user pointed out, “NIL sales are gonna be through the roof.“
“Commentators going to be on life support calling his games. And yes it’s pronounced how you think it is…,” another X (formerly known as Twitter) user joked.
But to tell you the truth, Noah Knigga’s name is not pronounced as you think. In an interview, he clarified that his surname, Knigga, is pronounced “Ka-nay-guh.”
Noah Knigga’s parents, Ryan and Staci Knigga, couldn’t be any more proud!
The Knigga household is currently brimming with pride and joy as both of their twin kids, Noah and Natalie, are on their way to becoming top athletes.
On National Signing Day, Noah Knigga signed with the Eagles to play football at Ypsilanti, while Natalie signed with Saint Mary-of-the-Woods for volleyball.
It appears that athletic blood runs in the family. Noah Knigga’s father, Ryan Knigga, is the current head football coach of Lawrenceburg High School in Indiana, where his twin kids attended.
Interestingly, Ryan also went to the same high school and graduated in 1996. Later, he went to Indiana State University as a scholarship athlete on the ISU football team.
Moreover, as per his Facebook bio, it appears he has been teaching there since his graduation, i.e., in 2001.
That’s not all; Noah’s father, Ryan Knigga, is Lawrenceburg High School’s all-time winningest football coach, with 125th back-to-back win streak.
Under his helm, he led Lawrenceburg HS to five Sectional Championships, five EIAC Championships, and a State Finals appearance in 2016.
Meanwhile, Noah’s mother, Staci Shipley Knigga, is also a former volleyball player and current head Volleyball Coach at Lawrenceburg High School.
She also attended Indiana State University, where she played for the varsity volleyball team. Perhaps that’s where she met Ryan Knigga, who later became the wife of Knigga’s household.
Additional Information
- During Noah’s sophomore season, he recorded a career-high 87 total tackles, 51 assisted tackles, 36 solo tackles, and seven sacks, which became the best campaign of his high school career.
- As they are twins, Noah Knigga and his sister, Natalie, both turned 18 on October 5th.
- While polishing his football skills, Noah Knigga will major in finance at Eastern Michigan University.
