A former NFL linebacker has been removed from the United States by immigration enforcement, apparently after years of living in the country illegally.
Daniel Ogama Adongo played professional rugby union in South Africa before being recruited by the NFL in 2013.
‘Our communities are SAFER now that this criminal is OUT of our country.’
Adongo, now 37, was in his prime when the Indianapolis Colts brought him aboard, but the Kenyan played in a total of only five games over the course of two seasons, never recording a tackle.
After being waived by the Colts at the end of 2015, Adongo reportedly overstayed his visa in 2016, followed by a series of arrests over the last decade.
Fox News reported that the linebacker was arrested for crimes like criminal mischief with damage, felony intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct. One of the arrests led to a one-year jail sentence in 2020.
According to the Daily Mail, another arrest stemmed from a 2017 incident when Adongo allegedly threatened his Uber driver with a hatchet.
A Department of Justice immigration judge ordered Adongo’s removal in March, according to Fox News, and he was deported on June 20 after being detained in Chicago.
The Department of Homeland Security responded to a news story about Adongo, saying he was “DEPORTED after he broke our laws.”
“Our communities are SAFER now that this criminal is OUT of our country,” the department wrote on X.
ICE Chicago told Fox News that Adongo was “clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he’s been removed.”
The comments came from Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson, who added, “Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes.”
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Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Adongo was born in Nairobi in 1989 and was signed by the Colts without any football experience. His two games came in 2013 and 2015, as he bounced between the practice squad and the full-time roster starting in July 2013, until his eventual release in December 2015.
Police had been called to Adongo’s home multiple times throughout that season, the Daily Mail stated, but there were no charges filed at the time. He was later suspended by the NFL in 2016 following an investigation. Around 12 months later, he was arrested in Indianapolis for the alleged hatchet incident.
As noted by Pro Football Reference, Adongo had his suspension lifted by the NFL commissioner on October 4, 2016.
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