CHICAGO — Former National Football League (NFL) player Daniel Ogama Adongo has been deported to his home country of Kenya by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following years of legal troubles and an expired visa, federal authorities announced.
Adongo, 37, was removed from the United States on June 20 after a Department of Justice immigration judge formally issued a removal order on March 23. Federal officials confirmed his deportation was carried out by ICE officers out of the Chicago Field Office.
Years of Legal Troubles and Expired Visa
Adongo originally entered the U.S. on a professional athlete visa but overstayed his legal status in 2016 shortly after his NFL tenure ended.
Over the past decade, Adongo was arrested multiple times across Indiana on offenses that included felony intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct. In 2020, he was convicted of Class A misdemeanor criminal mischief with damage in Marion County and sentenced to 364 days in jail.
Most recently, Adongo’s custody fell under provisions of the Laken Riley Act, federal legislation signed into law in early 2025 by President Donald Trump. The law mandates the detention without bond of undocumented individuals charged with specific theft or violent offenses before deportation proceedings.
“This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he’s been removed,” ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson said in an official statement. “Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes.”
Unprecedented NFL Experiment and Sudden Exit
Adongo first made international sports headlines in July 2013 when the Indianapolis Colts signed him as an outside linebacker despite having zero prior experience in American football.
A former star rugby union player in South Africa and New Zealand, the 6-foot-5, 257-pound athlete successfully transitioned to the Colts’ active roster later that season. He ultimately appeared in five regular-season games for Indianapolis, primarily playing on special teams.
However, Adongo’s football career came to an abrupt halt in December 2015. The Colts waived him from the roster following multiple domestic disturbance calls to his Fishers, Indiana, residence involving a female companion.
In one incident, police were dispatched after the woman sent text messages to a friend indicating she needed help. While no criminal charges were ultimately filed from those specific domestic calls, the NFL launched a personal conduct investigation, and the Colts cut ties with the linebacker. He never returned to professional sports.
Adongo’s deportation comes amidst a broader ramp-up in immigration enforcement nationwide. Trump administration officials report that ICE has carried out more than 356,000 deportations in fiscal year 2026, driven by an influx of enforcement actions and expedited judicial removal proceedings across the country.
