Nate Orchard

Nathaniel “Nate” Fakahafua Orchard is a professional football defensive end and has played for the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and the Miami Dolphins.

Orchard grew up in Inglewood, California, as Napa’a Lilo Fakahafua. He was surrounded with violence and gangs and a difficult home life. He moved to Utah at the age of 10 and lived with his 18-year-old brother for a time. At the point when his brother was going to be evicted and forced back to California, Orchard asked his close friend’s father, and his basketball coach, Dave Orchard, if he could move in with them. He was 13 years old at that time. Although he had the stability of the Orchard’s home, he periodically ran away, missing his mother and stubbornly fighting against curfews and chores. The Orchard’s stuck with him and eventually he settled down. He later changed his last name to Orchard to honor them.

During high school in Salt Lake City, Orchard played football (wide receiver and defensive end), basketball, and competed in track (sprinter). Orchard knew that “football and basketball . . . could help my family get out of the struggle that we were in.”[1] High school coaches mentored him and helped him get through the adversity he was encountering. He graduated with a 4.0 grade-point average, won titles in both basketball and football, and was an all-state wide receiver.

He played football at the University of Utah on a scholarship and during his senior year he had 84 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 18.5 sacks. He won the Hendricks Award for best college defensive end. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 2015, he was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second draft.

During college Orchard married Maegan Webber and they had a baby daughter. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple. They have since had two other children.