Osi Umenyiora facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Osi Umenyiora

Umenyiora in 2008
No. 72, 50
Position:	Defensive end
Personal information
Born:	(1981-11-16) November 16, 1981 (age 43) London, England
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
High school:	Auburn (Auburn, Alabama, U.S.)
College:	Troy (1999–2002)
NFL Draft:	2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56
Career history
New York Giants (2003–2012) Atlanta Falcons (2013–2014)
Career highlights and awards
2× Super Bowl champion (XLII, XLVI) First-team All-Pro (2005) Second-team All-Pro (2010) 2× Pro Bowl (2005, 2007) NFL forced fumbles leader (2010) New York Giants Ring of Honor All-SLC (2000) Troy University Sports Hall of Fame NFL record Most forced fumbles in a season: 10 (2010; tied)
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles: 450 Sacks: 85.0 Forced fumbles: 35 Fumble recoveries: 14 Interceptions: 1 Defensive touchdowns: 5
Player stats at PFR

Ositadimma "Osi" Umenyiora (born November 16, 1981) is a former professional American football player. He was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). Osi played college football for the Troy Trojans. The New York Giants picked him in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft.

Umenyiora was chosen for the Pro Bowl twice. He also holds a record for the Giants team for most sacks in one game. He is one of only five British-born players to win a Super Bowl. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons.

Early Life and High School Football

Osi Umenyiora was born in London, England. His parents were from Nigeria. His full first name, Ositadimma, means "from today on, things will be good" in the Igbo language.

When Osi was seven, his family moved to Nigeria. At age fourteen, he moved to Auburn, Alabama, in the U.S., to live with his sister. He only played two years of high school football at Auburn High School. He was 16 years old in his senior year.

Osi was teammates with DeMarcus Ware, who also became a famous NFL defensive player. Even though Osi was a good player, he didn't get any scholarship offers for college football at first. A coach from his high school team helped him get a scholarship offer from Troy State (now Troy University).

College Football Career

Umenyiora played college football for the Troy Trojans. This was the only college that offered him a sports scholarship. At Troy, he changed his position from nose guard to defensive end.

In 2002, he set new records for his school. He had 20.5 tackles for loss in one season. He also had four sacks in a single game against Florida A&M. He finished the 2002 season with 15 sacks. This was the second-highest number in NCAA Division I. In 2014, he was honored by being added to the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame.

Playing in the NFL

New York Giants Years

Even though he wasn't invited to the 2003 NFL draft combine, the New York Giants chose Umenyiora. They picked him in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft. He was the 56th player chosen overall.

In the 2005 season, Osi became a top pass rusher. This was his first year as a starter. His great play earned him All-Pro honors and a trip to the Pro Bowl. He had 14.5 sacks and 70 tackles that year.

In December 2005, the Giants signed Umenyiora to a new six-year contract. It was worth $41 million.

During a game in the 2007 season, he set a Giants team record. He recorded six sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles. Later that season, he scored his first career touchdown. He sacked Trent Dilfer, made him drop the ball, picked it up, and ran 75 yards to score.

By the end of the 2007 season, Umenyiora had 13 sacks. This helped the Giants get 53 sacks as a team, which was the most in the NFL that year. The Giants then had a surprising win in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots. Their strong pass rush was a big reason for this victory.

In 2008, Osi had to miss the entire season. He hurt his left knee during a preseason game. He needed surgery to fix the injury.

In the 2009 season, Umenyiora scored his second and final career touchdown. This also happened when he sacked a player, forced a fumble, and recovered the ball.

In October 2010, Umenyiora was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month. He had 7.0 sacks and six forced fumbles in four games. He and his teammate Justin Tuck had 11.5 sacks each that year. Together, they forced 16 fumbles.

In 2011, Umenyiora had another knee surgery. He returned to play later that season. In June 2012, he agreed to a one-year contract with the Giants.

Atlanta Falcons and Retirement

On March 27, 2013, Umenyiora signed a two-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. The deal was worth $8.55 million.

On August 26, 2015, Osi Umenyiora announced he was retiring from football. He signed a special one-day contract with the Giants. This allowed him to officially retire as a member of the team he played for the longest.

Umenyiora playing for the Giants in a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers in 2012.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Media Career

After retiring from football in 2015, Osi joined BBC Sport. He became a sports expert for their NFL coverage. He worked on the NFL International Series games in London and the Super Bowl.

He worked with other well-known broadcasters like Mark Chapman and Jason Bell. Their NFL coverage was very popular in the UK. He also worked on the BBC's weekly NFL highlights shows.

In 2022, the highlights show moved to ITV. However, ITV stopped the show before the 2024 NFL season.

Osi's work as a pundit (sports expert) has won awards. He received two Royal Television Society Performance Awards. He also won the Sports Journalists' Association British Sports Pundit of the Year award in 2018.

Personal Life

Osi Umenyiora used to live in Cleveland, Georgia and Edgewater, New Jersey. In 2008, he appeared briefly in a music video for the song "I Luv Your Girl".

Osi is cousins with Chidera Uzo-Diribe, who is a coach for the Georgia Bulldogs. In February 2013, Osi got engaged to Leila Lopes. She was Miss Universe 2011. They got married on May 29, 2015, in Luanda, Angola, which is Leila's home country. They have two children together.

See also

In Spanish: Osi Umenyiora para niños