Nnamdi Asomugha ((pronounced /NAM-Dee Aso-MU-Wah/) (born July 6, 1981 in Lafayette, Louisiana) is an American football cornerback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders 31st overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at California.
Early years
He attended and played high school basketball and football at Leuzinger High School in Los Angeles, California and Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, California before transferring to and graduating from Narbonne High School in Los Angeles, California.
College career
He continued at the University of California, Berkeley where he finished his career with 187 tackles, three sacks, 19 stops for losses, eight interceptions, three touchdowns, 15 pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in 41 games as a free safety. Asomugha is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He finished his degree requirements to graduate from UC Berkeley with a BA in 2006. [1]
Professional career
He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Raiders and moved to cornerback. He made his first two career interceptions against the Cleveland Browns on October 1, 2006. He got his third interception four weeks later against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned this interception 24 yards for a touchdown. Though the team suffered through a 2-14 season, Asomugha's 2006 campaign was his finest yet. In his fourth year, he finished the season with 50 tackles, eight interceptions, a sack, a forced fumble and one touchdown. His interception total tied him for second highest total in the National Football League along with four other players (including former Oakland Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson). Asomugha was selected to the 2007 Pro Bowl *(Story) several hours before the game because of an injury, but was not able to attend the annual all-star game in Honolulu, Hawaii. He also received the Oakland Raiders "Commitment to Excellence" Award and was named the team's Most Valuable Player in 2006. Asomugha was selected onto Sports Illustrated 's Dr. Z's All-Pro team [2] as well as The Associated Press All-Pro team. [3]
Asomugha was selected as the Oakland Raiders Team Captain for the 2007 season. The 2007 season was a lonely existence for Asomugha, who paid for his eight-interception breakout season of 2006. Even established star quarterbacks such as Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, neither short on confidence or receivers, would not challenge him. Opposing quarterbacks tested him only 31 times with a mere 10 completions the entire season. One NFL scout told Pro Football Weekly that Asomugha was thrown at "less than any defender in the last 10 years" in 2007 *[4]. He finished the 2007 season with 34 tackles, 1 interception and 7 breakups and was named a Pro Bowl alternate.
A free agent in the 2008 offseason, the Raiders placed the "Exclusive" Franchise tag *(Story) on Asomugha on February 20. Unable to reach a long-term deal with the team, Asomugha signed his one year, $9.765 million tender on July 24.
Personal
He is an American-born Nigerian. His name means "My Father Lives."
With the addition of DeAngelo Hall to the Raider's defensive backfield, many have high expectations for the secondary in Oakland in the 2008 season.
He is the younger cousin of Adimchinobi Echemandu, who also attended California.citation needed
Further reading
- "NFL Top 50 Players 2007 (#37)", CBS Sportsline (June 14, 2007).
- "NFL Top 50 Players 2008 (#29)", CBS Sportsline (June 25, 2008).
- "Asomugha Has It Covered", Oakland Tribune (December 03, 2006).
- "Asomugha Joins Elite Company at Corner", AOL (October 04, 2007).
- "Asomugha Shutting Down the Opposition", Rotoworld (December 17, 2007).
- "Nnamdi is the Man", Boston Herald (March 02, 2008).
External links
|
