26 Facts About Akbar Gbaja-Biamila

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2003.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila played for two other teams, the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila Oluwakemi-Idowu Gbajabiamila was born on May 6,1979, in Los Angeles, California, to Nigerian immigrant parents.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila grew up in Crenshaw District, and attended Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles, where he was a star basketball player on teams that were part of the Willie West Jr.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was named the team's defensive lineman of the year, compiling 11 sacks and 74 tackles in his senior campaign.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila chose to go to San Diego State University, where his older brother attended.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila joined the group Athletes For Education, an outreach group that sent players into communities to work with young people on developing their life skills.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila graduated with a degree in communication and new media studies, before completing a certified entrepreneurship program at the Wharton School of Business in 2005.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila went undrafted in the 2003 NFL draft and later signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila made the team out of training camp and played in 13 of the team's 16 regular season games.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila recorded seven tackles on the season, with his first and only sack of the season coming against Daunte Culpepper, then with the Minnesota Vikings.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila appeared in 14 games for the Raiders during the regular season and was inactive for two games.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila accumulated a career-high 14 tackles and added a sack on the year.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila recovered a blocked punt against the Carolina Panthers which led to a Raiders touchdown.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila had a workout with the Green Bay Packers two days later, but he was not signed and spent the season out of football.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila returned to the NFL in 2006 after being signed by the San Diego Chargers on January 12.

On February 6,2007, it was announced that Akbar Gbaja-Biamila had been signed to a future contract worth $7.4 million with the Miami Dolphins.

The move reunited him with new Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron, who was the offensive coordinator in San Diego the season before when Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was a member of the Chargers.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila briefly returned to the Raiders in 2008, but did not appear in a game and was released before the start of the season.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila 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.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila hosted the show for two and a half seasons before getting one last shot in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila founded Rush The Passer, a year-round athletic, academic, and life skills program for youth in Southern California.

On May 10,2018, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila threw out the first pitch at Citizens Bank Park before a game between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies which was widely seen as being among the worst.

On September 2,2021, it was announced that Akbar Gbaja-Biamila would join The Talk as a permanent co-host, and the second full-time male co-host on the show.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was raised in a Sunni Muslim household but converted to Christianity while in college.

Akbar Gbaja-Biamila currently serves as a board member for the Asomugha Foundation, an organization aimed at creating better educational opportunities for impoverished communities.