Brendon Ayanbadejo facts for kids
Ayanbadejo at Ravens training camp, August 2009
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| Position: | Linebacker Special teams |
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| Born: | September 6, 1976 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||
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| High school: | Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, California) | ||||||||||
| College: | UCLA | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1999 | ||||||||||
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Brendon Ayanbadejo (born September 6, 1976) is a former American football player. He played as a linebacker and on special teams for 13 seasons. He was part of both the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Brendon played college football for the UCLA Bruins. He started his professional career in 1999 with the Atlanta Falcons. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times for his excellent special teams play. He was also named to the All-Pro team twice. Ayanbadejo played for many teams, including the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. He also played for teams like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL.
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Early life
Brendon Ayanbadejo was born in Chicago. His father was from Nigeria, and his mother was American with Irish family. His Nigerian name, "Oladele," means "Wealth comes home."
He has an older brother, Obafemi Ayanbadejo, who also played professional football. After Brendon was born, his family moved to Nigeria for a short time. When his parents separated, he returned to the United States with his mother. They lived in Chicago before settling in Santa Cruz, California. Brendon went to Santa Cruz High School, where he played football as a tight end.
College career
Brendon went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for college. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. In his final year, he was a first-team all-Pac-10 player. He studied history while at UCLA.
Professional career
Early career
Brendon Ayanbadejo began his NFL journey with the Atlanta Falcons in 1999. He spent time on their practice squad. He also played for the practice squad of the Chicago Bears.
In 2000, he joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. He also played for the Toronto Argonauts. In 2001, he played for the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe. He returned to the CFL in 2002 with the BC Lions. That September, the CFL recognized him as the Defensive Player of the Month. He had many tackles, interceptions, and recovered fumbles.
Miami Dolphins
In 2003, Brendon came back to the NFL and joined the Miami Dolphins. In 2004, he made an important play in a game against the New England Patriots. He intercepted a pass from quarterback Tom Brady. This play helped the Dolphins win the game by just one point.
Chicago Bears
Brendon was traded to the Chicago Bears in 2005. While with the Bears, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl twice in a row. He was selected in 2006 and 2007 for his great special teams play.
Baltimore Ravens (second stint)
On March 6, 2008, Brendon signed a four-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. He was again selected for the Pro Bowl that season. In 2009, he started playing a bigger role on the Ravens' defense. In a game against the Cleveland Browns, he had six tackles, a sack, and an interception. Because of his strong performance, he was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Unfortunately, he later tore a muscle and missed the rest of that season.
In 2013, Brendon helped the Ravens win important playoff games. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos. Then, they won the AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots. The Ravens went on to win Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013, beating the San Francisco 49ers 34–31. Brendon mostly played on special teams during the 2012 season. He was released by the Ravens on April 3, 2013.
Broadcasting
After his football career, Brendon Ayanbadejo started working in broadcasting. In August 2013, he became an analyst for Fox Football Daily on Fox Sports 1. He also sometimes works as a game analyst for NFL on Fox coverage.
Advocacy for fairness
Brendon Ayanbadejo has spoken out in favor of equal rights for all people. In 2012, a Maryland politician wrote a letter to the Baltimore Ravens' owner. The letter asked the team to stop Brendon from sharing his views. Many people criticized this letter, saying it tried to limit Brendon's right to speak freely.
Brendon publicly stated that he would not stay silent on important issues. He explained that his own parents were from different backgrounds, and their marriage would have been illegal in some states in the past. He felt it was important to speak up for fairness for everyone. Brendon has said that he received a lot of support from others in the football world. Other players, like Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, also spoke out in support of Brendon.
Later, Brendon spoke in support of NBA player Jason Collins. Collins became the first openly active athlete in a major North American sports league to share his personal life publicly.
Personal life
Brendon is the younger brother of former fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo. The two brothers played on the same team twice. They were teammates on the Miami Dolphins in 2003 and again on the Chicago Bears in 2007.
Brendon has written articles for the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper. He also supports the FIT Kids Act. This is a proposed law that would require schools to report on students' physical activity. It would also give young people information about health and nutrition.
In 2013, Brendon earned his Executive MBA degree from George Washington University.
Images for kids
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Ayanbadejo at Ravens training camp, August 2009
