40-yard dash, recorded a 36-inch
vertical jump, and put up 30 reps on
the 225-pound bench press. He was
blessed with size, strength and speed,
but no NFL team would take a chance
on him in the draft. The Atlanta Falcons
signed Ayanbadejo in 1999 marking the
beginning of a long and winding road
to NFL stardom.
A practice squad player for both the
Falcons and Chicago Bears in 1999 and
2000, Ayanbadejo then headed north to
the Canadian Football League for a few
years. After a detour through the failed
XFL and a season with the Amsterdam
Admirals in the World League,
Ayanbadejo slowly started making a
name for himself in the NFL with stops
in Miami and Chicago.
Surrounded by amazing talent wherever
he went, Ayanbadejo made the most of
every opportunity and between 2005
and 2007 earned two trips to the Pro
Bowl as a special teams player with
the Chicago Bears. He played some at
linebacker as well, even starting games
for the Bears alongside perennial All-
Pro Brian Urlacher.
In 2008, Ayanbadejo would sign with
Baltimore where he was surrounded
by some of the best defensive talent
the NFL has ever produced. He
would contribute more on defense
with the Ravens lining up with the
likes of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and
Terrell Suggs.
Ayanbadejo earned
another Pro Bowl berth
in 2008 and culminated
his career by winning a
Super Bowl ring in his
final game.
Ayanbadejo had tremendous foresight
understanding that his football career
would not last forever. He enrolled in
an MBA program during his last few
years in the league and completed his
Brendon Ayanbadejo giving back at the 2017 Angel City Games with Lisa Marie
Varon and Chris Kluwe. Photo courtesy of Tiffany J Photography.
master’s degree in 2013. Today, he is the
proud owner of several Orangetheory
Fitness centers in the Los Angeles
area. In his spare time – Ayanbadejo
is married and has two children – he
continues something that he has been
very passionate about his entire life.
There are segments of the population
that are underserved. Ayanbadejo
works to make sure they are given
every opportunity to succeed. From
anti-bullying campaigns to the LGBTQ
community and his current work with
Angel City Sports, Ayanbadejo wants
to make sure that everyone gets the
spotlight they deserve.
With the announcement of the 2024
and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic
Games coming this September,
Ayanbadejo’s work with Angel City
Sports will offer adaptive athletes
a world stage. It’s an opportunity
for underdogs to make a name for
themselves…just like a young man
from Santa Cruz did years ago. Brendon
Ayanbadejo. Pro Bowler. Underdog.
Super Bowl champion. Business Owner,
but always the underdog.
Coach & Player Magazine • Summer 2017
33