Osi Umenyiora facts for kids
Umenyiora in 2008
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| No. 72, 50 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 16, 1981 London, England |
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| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Auburn (Auburn, Alabama) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Troy (1999–2002) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2003 / Round: 2 / Pick: 56 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| 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 is British-Nigerian.
He played college football for the Troy Trojans. The New York Giants picked him in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft. Osi was chosen for the Pro Bowl twice. He also holds a Giants team record for the most sacks in one game.
Osi Umenyiora is one of only five British-born players to win a Super Bowl. He won two Super Bowls with the Giants. Later in his career, he also played for the Atlanta Falcons.
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Osi Umenyiora's Early Life and Moves
Osi Umenyiora was born in Golders Green, 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 from London to Nigeria. At age fourteen, he moved to Auburn, Alabama in the United States. He lived there with his sister.
High School Football Experience
Osi played high school football for only two years. He attended Auburn High School. He was 16 years old when he was a senior.
He played alongside DeMarcus Ware, who also became an NFL defensive lineman. Ware followed Osi to Troy University.
Osi did not receive any scholarship offers for college football at first. His high school coach helped him get noticed. A coach from Troy State offered him a scholarship after seeing him play.
College Football Career at Troy
Osi Umenyiora played college football for the Troy Trojans. This was the only school that offered him a sports scholarship. At Troy, he changed his position from nose guard to defensive end.
In 2002, he set new school records:
- 20.5 tackles for loss in one season.
- 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, Osi was honored by being added to the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame.
Osi Umenyiora's Professional NFL Career
Even though he wasn't invited to the 2003 NFL draft combine, Osi Umenyiora was drafted. The New York Giants picked him in the second round. He was the 56th player chosen overall in the 2003 NFL draft.
Playing for the New York Giants
Osi became a top player at rushing the passer in the 2005 season. This was his first year as a starter. His excellent play earned him All-Pro recognition. He also went to the Pro Bowl. He made 14.5 sacks and 70 tackles that year.
In the fourth game of the 2007 season, Osi set a Giants team record. He recorded six sacks against the Philadelphia Eagles. Later that season, on October 21, he scored his first career touchdown. He sacked a player, forced a fumble, recovered the ball, and ran 75 yards to score.
By the end of the 2007 season, Osi had 13 sacks. This helped the Giants lead the NFL with 53 sacks. The Giants then had a surprising win in Super Bowl XLII. They defeated the New England Patriots, partly because of their strong pass rush. Osi had four tackles in that Super Bowl game.
During a preseason game in 2008, Osi injured his left knee. He needed surgery and missed the entire season.
In week 1 of the 2009 season, Osi scored his second career touchdown. This also came from a sack, forced fumble, and recovery.
In October 2010, Osi was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month. He had 18 tackles, 7.0 sacks, and six forced fumbles. Osi and his teammate Justin Tuck combined for 11.5 sacks and 16 forced fumbles that year.
In 2011, Osi had surgery on his right knee. He returned to play later that season. In June 2012, he signed a one-year contract with the Giants.
Time with the Atlanta Falcons
Osi Umenyiora signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on March 27, 2013.
Retirement from Football
On August 26, 2015, Osi 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.
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Osi Umenyiora's NFL Career Stats
| Key | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| NFL record | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Performance
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Sfty | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | ||
| 2003 | NYG | 13 | 1 | 20 | 13 | 7 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | NYG | 16 | 7 | 58 | 40 | 18 | 7.0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 88 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2005 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 70 | 48 | 22 | 14.5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2006 | NYG | 11 | 11 | 31 | 24 | 7 | 6.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2007 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 52 | 40 | 12 | 13.0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 75 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | NYG | 0 | 0 | did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | NYG | 16 | 11 | 29 | 19 | 10 | 7.0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 61 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | NYG | 16 | 16 | 48 | 33 | 15 | 11.5 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2011 | NYG | 9 | 7 | 25 | 16 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2012 | NYG | 16 | 4 | 43 | 28 | 15 | 6.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | ATL | 16 | 13 | 47 | 31 | 16 | 7.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 68 | 68.0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2014 | ATL | 16 | 0 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 86 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 129 | 92 | 376 | 261 | 115 | 85 | 0 | 35 | 13 | 310 | 4 | 1 | 68 | 68.0 | 1 | 17 | |
Osi Umenyiora's Media Career
After retiring from playing 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 coverage was very popular with NFL fans in the UK. Osi 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 season.
Osi's work as a sports expert has won awards. He received two Royal Television Society Performance Awards. He also won the 2018 Sports Journalists' Association British Sports Pundit of the Year award.
Osi Umenyiora's Personal Life
Osi Umenyiora has lived in different places, including Cleveland, Georgia and Edgewater, New Jersey.
He 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. They have two children together.
See also
In Spanish: Osi Umenyiora para niños
