Getty Former Bills defensive tackle Eli Ankou at State Farm Stadium on December 15, 2019.
When news broke that the Atlanta Falcons were plucking veteran Eli Ankou off the Buffalo Bills practice squad on October 3, there were mixed emotions.
WGR 550’s Sal Capaccio posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I know Eli would love to stay in Buffalo, and the Bills love him, but the path to the active roster here is really tough. This is a great chance for him.”
While Ankou isn’t a complete stranger to the Falcons, he had two brief stints with the team before signing with the Bills in 2021, the 6-foot-3, 325-pounder’s fianceé, Shayna Powless, a professional cyclist, isn’t thrilled to leave Buffalo.
On Thursday, October 5, Powless reposted a quote from NBA star Jrue Holiday’s wife, Lauren Holiday, who shared a poignant message about her husband getting traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Boston Celtics with “no warning.”
Mrs. Holiday wrote in part, “I’m not sharing this to say we are entitled to anything. I’m sharing this to say we are human beings whose kids develop friendships with other kids in our community, we are people who value family and friendships and invest in the cities we play in. We don’t just take from the city we play in, we give to the city we play in and we give our all.”
Powless shared Holiday’s message on her Instagram Stories and wrote, “So relatable. It works the same way in the NFL. Prepping to move from BUF to ATL as I speak.”
@shaynapowless/InstagramFormer Bills tackle Eli Ankou’s fianceé, Shayna Powless, shares a message on her Instagram Stories.
While Ankou wasn’t traded without notice, abruptly moving away from home is a jarring experience. The Ottawa native could’ve declined Atlanta’s offer, but saying no to a spot on an active roster, a job that comes with a massive pay bump and the opportunity to play every week, is nearly impossible to turn down.
Practice squad veterans can make up to $20,600 a week, while a veteran’s minimum salary with Ankou’s experience is approximately $1 million.
The 29-year-old defensive tackle has been quite the journeyman, he’s spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and Tennessee Titans, but he’s only been traded once. In November 2020, the Houston Texans traded Ankou to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick.
Throughout his career, the former undrafted tackle of UCLA has appeared in 33 games, made three starts, and recorded 43 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
Eli Ankou & Shayna Powless Considered the Buffalo Area ‘Home’
Just a few days before the Falcons called, Ankou shared a photo on Instagram of the couple walking hand-in-hand entering Highmark Stadium. Ankou captioned the post, “Sunny Buffalo 😎☀️ #GoBills.”
Over the past several years, Ankou cheered for the Bills and shared messages hyping the team on Instagram nearly every week. Buffalo was also a special place for Powless. In June 2022, the couple’s Dreamcatcher Foundation teamed up with the Allegany reservation’s H.E.R.O Committee to surprise kids in the indigenous community with free bikes.
Ankou told The Buffalo News that the connections he and his fiancée made with the children at the event, as they are both Indigenous athletes, were incredibly special.
“I could see a couple smiles crack,” Ankou said. “It was almost like they were like, ‘OK, I can let my guard down a little bit.’ It’s almost a shared experience. It’s like we’re family.”
“It can’t be overstated, the sense of community,” Ankou continued. “You get that sense of being home… We were driving back home after the first day and that’s exactly what we were talking about: feeling like we were home.
“For us, moving around so much, it’s something we long for, and I think it’s just a really nice feeling. And we’re really appreciative of the fine people at both community centers who welcomed us in and allowed us to be included in their community.”
Bills Mafia Hated to See Eli Ankou Leave
Welcome (back) to Atlanta @eliankou! Time to handle some unfinished business on Sundays!
#ASCEND #ASCENDATHLETICS #ASCENDARMY #ASCENDFAMILY #EA🇨🇦 #ATL #Falcons #DirtyBirds #NFL
Bills Mafia made sure Eli Ankou felt the love before he left for Atlanta. One fan posted, “Good for him. Guy can play for sure,” while another person lamented, “Absolutely hate it, but also, the kid is an NFL caliber player and happy he’s getting a shot. This is why it’s so hard to build a roster when you are competing. Any young talent you are developing gets plucked.”
One another man commented, “He deserves it, but hope he finds his way back to Buffalo down the road.”
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Former Bills Veteran’s Fiancee Posts Blunt Message After Buffalo Exit