Akbar Gbaja-Biamila

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Akbar Gbaja-Biamila bigraphy, stories - American football player

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila : biography

May 6, 1979 –

Akbar Oluwakemi-Idowu Gbaja-Biamila (born May 6, 1979) is a former American football defensive end, who currently works as a sports analyst for NBC and NFL Network. He was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at San Diego State. He currently works for NBC Sports as a college football analyst, previously held the same position with CBS College Sports Network. During the football offseason Gbajabiamila heads Rush the Passer a comprehensive defensive line training program preparing college/professional defensive linemen to elevate their skills.

Gbaja-Biamila has also played for the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins. He is the younger brother of former Green Bay Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila.

Professional career

Oakland Raiders

Gbajabiamila went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft and later signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent. He made the team out of training camp and played in 13 of the team’s 16 regular season games, while being inactive for three. He recorded seven tackles (four solo) on the season, with his first and only sack of the season coming against Daunte Culpepper, then with the Minnesota Vikings.

In 2004 Gbajabiamila split time between defensive end and linebacker, occasionally filling in for players such as Travian Smith and Tyler Brayton. He appeared in 14 games for the Raiders during the regular season and was inactive for two games. He accumulated a career-high 14 tackles (11 solo) and added a sack on the year. His lone sack came against Brad Johnson and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while he recorded a season-high three tackles in games against the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars. Gbaja-Biamila also recovered a blocked punt against the Carolina Panthers which led to a Raiders touchdown.

Battling injuries during the 2005 training camp, Gbaja-Biamila was released by the Raiders on September 3. He had a workout with the Green Bay Packers two days later, but he was not signed and spent the season out of football. In 2008 resigned with the Raiders and was released to retire as a Raider.

San Diego Chargers

Gbajabiamila returned to the NFL in 2006 after being signed by the San Diego Chargers on January 12. The fit was a good one for him, who as slightly undersized yet quick defensive end was a perfect fit for the 3-4 defense employed by then-defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and the Chargers.

Miami Dolphins

On February 6, 2007 it was announced that Gbajabiamila had been signed to a future contract with the Miami Dolphins. The move reunited him with new Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron, who was offensive coordinator in San Diego the season before when Gbaja-Biamila was a member of the Chargers. On September 11, 2007 he was released by the Dolphins. He spent the season out of football.

Other

An undrafted free agent, Gbajabiamila signed with the Oakland Raiders and spent two seasons with the silver and black, before moving on to spend time with both the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins before retiring in 2008. All the time in professional football, Akbar was looking for what’s next in his non-playing career, and how he could use those skills and assets to help others. In 2005, he was selected as one the NFL’s first athletes into their Broadcast Boot Camp, held at NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J., and designed to give 20 players a short and rigorous look into the skills needed to embark on a broadcast or journalism career after their playing days were over. He also took advantage of some time between playing stints to volunteer at KSWB, the NBC affiliate in San Diego, and ended up as the co-host for “Football Night in San Diego,” while he awaited his next chance back in the pros. He hosted the show for two and a half seasons (2006–2008) before getting one last look at the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.

Television career

With his playing career over, Akbar turned his focus to the broadcast booth in addition to his philanthropic work, serving as an analyst for the Mtn. Network and CBS Sports Network for two years, while also taking voice and acting classes. He also founded Rush The Passer, a year-round athletic and academic and life skills program for youth in Southern California. In 2010 was approached by reality producer Mark Burnett to be part of a three-man athlete team for his latest project on ABC. That role, and the exposure that comes with it, will help continue to further Akbar’s broadcast and activist roles.