Former NFL linebacker Daniel Adongo deported to Kenya after decade-long visa overstay
Jun 20, 2025·Location: Chicago, IL
Country of origin: Kenya

Daniel Ogama Adongo, 37, a Kenyan former linebacker who played for the Indianapolis Colts from 2013 to 2015 and was the first Kenyan-born player to join the NFL, was deported by ICE on June 20, 2025, after overstaying his visa since 2016. Over the past decade, Adongo was arrested multiple times for felony intimidation, battery, disorderly conduct, and criminal mischief. In 2017, a judge ordered a psychiatric examination after he was charged with intimidation and criminal mischief; he was found incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a psychiatric hospital. In 2020, he was convicted of criminal mischief with damage and sentenced to 364 days in jail, ultimately serving six months with credit for time served. An immigration judge ordered his deportation in March 2025. His mother, Betty Adongo, and his attorneys have attributed his legal troubles to mental illness and possible traumatic brain injury from his playing career; medical evaluations indicated acute psychosis and the possibility of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from repeated head trauma.
Timeline
Sources
- Daniel Adongo: Kenyan former NFL player deported from US, ICE says
BBC·Jul 27, 2026·archived copy
- First Kenyan-born NFL player deported, ICE says
NBC News·Jul 26, 2026·archived copy
nbcsandiego.com·Jul 26, 2026·archived copy
- Daniel Adongo Deported: Former NFL Player Removed in 2026
visaverge.com·Jul 25, 2026·archived copy
- Kenyan ex-NFL player and South Africa-trained rugby star deported from the US over visa overstay and criminal conviction
africa.businessinsider.com·Jul 26, 2026·archived copy
- Daniel Adongo: The Kenyan who conquered the NFL before his journey ended in US deportation
pulse.co.ke·Jul 26, 2026·archived copy
- From NFL promise to ICE deportation: The tragic fall of former Colts player Daniel Adongo
marca.com·Jul 26, 2026·archived copy
- Kenya’s NFL pioneer deported: Daniel Adongo’s fall from the gridiron to a federal removal order - The African Mirror
theafricanmirror.africa·Jul 27, 2026·archived copy
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