On June 20, 37-year-old Adongo was deported from US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents placed him on a flight to Nairobi.
In December 2013, Daniel Ogama Adongo made history as the first Kenyan to play in NFL. Standing at 6ft 5in tall and weighing more than 250 pounds, the former professional rugby star took to the field in the navy and white colours of the Indianapolis Colts.
He became a symbol of raw athletic talent and limitless potential, a trailblazer who made the extraordinary leap from southern-hemisphere rugby to the high-stakes world of the National Football League without ever having played a single down of American football.
Thirteen years later, the triumph ended in heartbreak. On June 20, 37-year-old Adongo was deported from US. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents placed him on a flight to Nairobi, bringing to a close a decade-long downward spiral marked by mental illness, legal troubles and homelessness.
“This dangerous individual was clearly a threat to the community, which is now safer since he’s been removed. Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes,” said ICE Chicago Assistant Field Office Director Douglas Thompson.
