Sports
OSI UMENYIORA

AFRICAN SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE TIMES
Posted Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009

Ositadinma "Osi" Umenyiora, born November 16, 1981 in Golders Green, London, England is an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the New York Giants.  Umenyiora is one of three British born players to have won a Super Bowl ring, joining Scott McCready and Giants teammate Lawrence Tynes. He missed the 2008 season, undergoing surgery for knee cartilage damage suffered during an exhibition against the New York Jets.

Umenyiora was born in London to Nigerian parents. His family moved back to Nigeria and later to Auburn, Alabama, where he started playing football in high school. Of Igbo descent, his full first name means in Igbo "from today things will be good".

He currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and Edgewater, New Jersey

High school

He attended Auburn High School, the same school attended by fellow Troy State alum and current Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Demarcus Ware, as well as former Washington Redskins linebacker Marcus Washington. Also he attended Atlantic Hall School in Nigeria, the same school as popular rapper Naeto C and recently won an alumni award for sports from the school at their 20th Anniversary Awards Night.

College career

At Troy State, Umenyiora became a starter at defensive end in his junior year after starting his career as a defensive tackle before shifting to nose guard as a sophomore. He started 36 of 48 games for the Trojans, recording 276 tackles (129 solos) with 25 sacks, 39 stops for losses, 71 quarterback pressures, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pass deflection. His 39 stops behind the line of scrimmage set a school career-record and his 25 sacks rank seventh in school history.

In 2002, as a senior, he was honorable mention All-American after starting every game at right defensive end, recording 57 tackles (35 solos) with three forced fumbles and had had 21 stops for losses and finished second in the nation with 16 sacks. The previous season, 2001, he started every game at right defensive end and had 59 tackles (29 solos) as he led the team with six sacks and 10 stops for while causing three fumbles. In 2000, as a sophomore, Umenyiora was First-team All-Southland Football League selection. He played in every game, starting ten contests at left defensive tackle and recorded a career-high 83 tackles (33 solos) with seven quarterback pressures and a forced fumble. He was teammates with Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware when Ware was a freshman and sophomore. As a freshman in 1999 he started every game at nose guard while totaling 77 tackles (32 solos) with three sacks, eight stops for losses in 13 games and he also deflected a pass and recovered two fumbles. In 1998 he redshirted as a true freshman.

GIANTS NOTES: 

-           Set a Giants franchise record with 6.0 sacks vs. Philadelphia on Sept. 23, 2007, surpassing surpassed the old mark of 4.5 sacks by Pepper Johnson at Tampa Bay on Nov. 24, 1991.
-           Umenyiora led the Giants in sacks in 4 consecutive seasons with 7.0 in 2004, 14.5 in 2005, 6.0 in 2006 and 13.0 in 2007. He was the 1st Giant to top the team in sacks 4 years in a row since Lawrence Taylor topped the Giants in 5 consecutive seasons from 1986-90. Michael Strahan was No. 1 in sacks each season from 1995-98, but shared the 1996 lead with Chad Bratzke.
-           Was voted to the Pro Bowl following the 2005 and 2007 seasons.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

-           Has played in 72 regular season games with 51 starts and started all 6 postseason games in which he's played at right defensive end...He has 238 tackles (164 solo), 41.5 sacks, 9 passes defensed, 14 forced fumbles and 8 fumble recoveries.
-           Umenyiora missed the entire 2008 season after undergoing knee surgery...He suffered a torn lateral meniscus cartilage in his left knee in a preseason game vs. the Jets on Aug. 23....Underwent surgery and was placed on injured reserve 3 days later.
-           In 2007, started all 16 regular season games and 4 postseason games at right defensive end...Umenyiora was the only member of the Super Bowl champion Giants selected to the Pro Bowl, the 2nd time he was chosen...Led the team in sacks for the 4th consecutive season with 13.0 for 87 yards...Also had 53 tackles (33 solo), 2 pass defensed, 5 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries...Was twice named NFC Defensive Player of the Week...Added 10 tackles (7 solo) and a fumble recovery in the playoffs.
-           Set a Giants record with 6.0 sacks vs. Philadelphia (9/30). The old record of 4.5 sacks was set by Pepper Johnson at Tampa Bay on Nov. 24, 1991. The NFL record of 7.0 sacks was set by the late Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas for Kansas City against Seattle on Nov. 11, 1990. Umenyiora is tied for 2nd in league history with San Francisco's Fred Dean (6.0 sacks vs. New Orleans on Nov. 13, 1983) and Thomas (6.0 sacks vs. Oakland on Sept. 6, 1998)...Umenyiora's previous career high was 2.0 sacks, which he had accomplished 6 times...He entered the game with no sacks in 2007 and just 1 sack in his last 8 games dating back to 2006 - not counting his sack in the Giants' postseason loss to Philadelphia...In addition to his 6 sacks, he forced 2 fumbles and had 4 QB hurries...Contributed to a defense that set a team record for sacks with 12.0...The previous Giants record was 9 sacks, which they accomplished 3 times. Two of the three games were at home against the Eagles, most recently on Aug. 31, 1997. They also had nine sacks on Dec. 6, 1987 against Philadelphia and Dec. 14, 1986 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals...Was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
-           Finished with 4 solo tackles, 1 sack, 3 QB hurries and 3 QB hits vs. the Jets (10/7)...Recorded his 7th sack of the season when he dropped Chad Pennington for a 7-yard loss in the 4th quarter.
-           Had 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries vs. San Francisco (10/21)...Scored the Giants' 3rd touchdown of the game when he sacked Trent Dilfer for a 10-yard loss, forced a fumble that he recovered and returned 75 yards for a score in the 3rd quarter. It was the longest fumble return for a touchdown by a Giant since Sept. 9, 1984, when linebacker Andy Headen brought one back 81 yards in a victory over Dallas...It was the 2nd touchdown of Umenyiora's career. He scored on a 50-yard fumble return at Baltimore on Dec. 12, 2004...The performance earned Umenyiora his 2nd Player of the Week award in 2007.
-           Posted his second 2-sack game of the season vs. Minnesota (11/25)...Also had sacks in each of the next 2 games, at Chicago (12/2) and at Philadelphia (12/9)...Contributed 6 tackles (4 solo) and a 10-yard sack in the Giants' playoff-clinching victory at Buffalo (12/23).
-           Made a big contribution in Super Bowl XLII vs. New England (2/3), with 3 tackles (2 solo), 2 QB hurries and a team-high 5 QB hits. Also recovered a Tom Brady fumble after the quarterback was hit by Justin Tuck and lost the ball in the 2nd quarter...Tackled RB Laurence Maroney for losses of 3 yards in the 2nd quarter and 2 yards in the 3rd quarter.
-           In 2006, started all 11 regular season games in which he played and the NFC Wild Card Game at right defensive end...Led the team with 6.0 sacks despite missing 5 games with a strained hip flexor...Finished the season with 39 tackles (27 solo), 16 QB hurries, 12 QB hits, 1 pass defensed and 1 forced fumble.
-           Contributed 4 tackles, 1 sack and 3 QB hurries in the NFC Wild Card game at Philadelphia (1/7/07).
-           Had 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 sacks and a forced fumble at Atlanta (10/15)...Sacked Michael Vick for a 9-yard loss in the 1st quarter...Recorded his 2nd sack of Vick when he stripped the ball for a 6-yard loss in the 4th quarter.
-           In 2005, started all 16 regular season games and the NFC Wild Card Game vs. Carolina at right defensive end...Finished with 70 tackles (49 solo), 14.5 sacks, 3 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries
-           His 14.5 sacks placed him 1st in the NFC and 2nd in the NFL and was the highest total by a Giant other than Michael Strahan since Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor had 15 in 1989...Umenyiora and Strahan combined for 26 sacks, the most by any pair of NFL teammates...Umenyiora was selected to his 1st Pro Bowl and was named 1st-team All-Pro by both the Associated Press and Pro Football Weekly and was selected the NFL's Most Improved Player by Pro Football Weekly.
-           Umenyiora and Strahan became the 1st tandem of defensive ends from the same team to go to the Pro Bowl together since Jason Taylor and Trace Armstrong of the Miami Dolphins in 2000.
-           Finished with 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 sacks and a forced fumble at Oakland (12/31)...Dropped Kerry Collins for a 12-yard loss in the 2nd quarter and recorded his 2nd sack of the game in the 4th quarter when he stripped Collins of the ball for a 9-yard loss.
-           In 2004, played in 16 games with 7 starts at defensive right end...Led the team with 7.0 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries (including 1 he returned for a touchdown) and 3 forced fumbles along with 58 tackles (42 solo) and 3 passes defensed.
-           Recorded 9 tackles, 1 sack and a forced fumble vs. Dallas (1/2)... Sacked Vinny Testaverde and forced a fumble in the 4th quarter that was recovered by Reggie Torbor and led to Tiki Barber's 3-yard touchdown reception...Did not start at Baltimore (12/12), but recorded 4 tackles, a half-sack, 2 passes defensed and a fumble recovery. Scored the 1st touchdown of his career when he recovered a Kyle Boller fumble that was forced by a Reggie Torbor sack and returned it 50 yards in the 2nd quarter.
-           As a rookie in 2003, played in 13 games with 1 start...Finished with 19 tackles (15 solo), 1 sack and one special teams tackle in rookie season.
-           Set up all 3 Giants touchdowns in season finale against Carolina (12/28), the first 2 with blocked punts and the third with a sack and forced fumble that was recovered for a score by Keith Washington. Umenyiora's feat was the first time the Giants blocked 2 punts in 1 game since Oct. 9, 1943 against the Phil-Pitt Steagles, a team made up of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia players during World War II. Named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He finished with 4 tackles (1 solo) and a sack for a loss of 17 yards.

Off-Field Activity

Joined Drew Brees and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a USO Tour, visiting troops in the Middle East in July of 2008.
-           Hosted "Strike 4 A Cure" celebrity bowling weekend to raise funds to fight AIDS and Alzheimer's disease.
-           Participated in Antonio Pierce's annual free football clinic and scholarship gala to benefit the youth of Bermuda.
-           Has joined with NFL players Israel Idonije, Amobi Okeye and Adewale Ogunleye to found C.A.T.E. (Changing Africa Through Education), an organization that contributes money and services to their native Nigeria.

Personal

Umenyiora, who spent the first 7 years of his life in London, lived with his family in Nigeria from the ages of 7-14...In 2007, Umenyiora was made a chief in Nigeria.  He and former girlfriend, Shakira, have a son (Tijani).

Partial Source: Giants.com