Kristjan Sokoli

Kristjan Sokoli was born on September 24, 1991, in Shkodër, Albania. His family immigrated to the United States when he was young, with his father seeking political asylum around the time of the Albanian Rebellion of 1997. Kristjan and his younger brother joined their parents in the US two years later. Despite not speaking English upon arrival, Kristjan became a three-year letterwinner in football at Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield, New Jersey, where he played defensive end, left tackle, tight end, punter, and placekicker. He also participated in basketball and discus throwing.

Sokoli attended the University at Buffalo, where he transitioned to playing defensive line full-time. He redshirted his freshman year and by his junior year, he became a starter. He was part of a Buffalo pass rush that included future first-round draft pick Khalil Mack. Kristjan contributed to Buffalo’s 2013 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl appearance, which was the second bowl appearance for the team and the first since the 2008 season. During his senior year, he played in the 2015 Medal of Honor Bowl. He majored in Business Administration.

In 2015, Kristjan Sokoli was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the NFL draft with the 214th overall pick. He was the first Albanian-born player to play in a National Football League game. Initially drafted as a defensive tackle, he was moved to center, a position he had not played before. He appeared in one game for the Seahawks in 2015, playing eight snaps on special teams. His career continued with stints on the practice squads and active rosters of the Indianapolis Colts (2016), New Orleans Saints (2017), and New York Giants (2017-2018). He later played for the DC Defenders (2020) in the XFL, the Potsdam Royals (2021) in the German Football League, the Houston Gamblers (2022-2023) in the USFL, and briefly with the Houston Roughnecks (2025) in the UFL.