Biography

Nnamdi Asomugha (born July 6, 1981) is a former All-Pro NFL defensive back from Los Angeles, California. Nnamdi began his professional football career with the Oakland Raiders after being selected in the first round of the 2003 NFL draft. A four-time All-Pro selection, Asomugha emerged as one of the League's best defensive backs, earning him starting positions in the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Pro Bowls. During the 2011 off-season, Asomugha was considered the top free agent on the market, and was featured on the cover of 'Sports Illustrated' after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. On December 27, 2013, he signed a one-day contract with the Oakland Raiders and retired after 11 seasons in the NFL. Prior to joining the NFL, Asomugha was a standout free safety at the University of California, Berkeley, from which he graduated with a degree in corporate finance.

Asomugha made his professional acting debut in 2008 on the CW Network sitcom The Game (2006). In 2009, he played the role of Ken Shaw in the season premiere of Friday Night Lights (2006) Season 4 (East of Dillon (2009)). In 2010, he appeared on the TNT drama Leverage (2008) as Walle in the Season 3 episode The Scheherazade Job (2010). In the fall of 2012, Nnamdi appeared in his first feature-length film, Fire with Fire (2012), alongside Bruce Willis, Josh Duhamel, and Rosario Dawson. He wrote, produced and starred in his first short film, Double Negative (2013).

Nnamdi is the chairman of the Asomugha Foundation, a 501(3)c he founded with his family. The foundation works to support two key programs: Asomugha College Tour for Scholars (ACTS) and Orphans and Widows in Need (OWIN). ACTS is an 18-month-long mentorship program through which he personally takes a group of high-achieving high school students on an all-expenses-paid trip to a city where they visit the local colleges and universities. Upon their return home, the students engage in leadership, civic, and humanitarian activities, demonstrating that success is also found in giving back. OWIN, which was founded by Nnamdi's mother, Dr. Lilian Asomugha, works to position widows and orphans in Africa for economic success and independence through education, spiritual guidance, and vocational training.