Osi Umenyiora life and biography

Originally a 2nd round (56th pick overall) draft choice by the Giants in 2003.

GIANTS NOTES

Set a Giants franchise record with 6.0 sacks vs. Philadelphia on Sept. 23, 2007, surpassing surpassed the old mark of 4.5 sacks by Pepper Johnson at Tampa Bay on Nov. 24, 1991.

Umenyiora has led the Giants in sacks five of the last six seasons, missing only 2008, when he sat out the entire season after undergoing knee surgery. He was the team sack leader in 4 consecutive seasons with 7.0 in 2004, 14.5 in 2005, 6.0 in 2006 and 13.0 in 2007 and again with 7.0 in 2009. He was the 1st Giant to top the team in sacks 4 years in a row since Lawrence Taylor led the team in 5 consecutive seasons from 1986-90. Michael Strahan was No. 1 in sacks each season from 1995-98, but shared the 1996 lead with Chad Bratzke.

Has 48.5 career sacks, which place him fifth on the Giants' official career list (since 1982, when sacks were first recognized).
Umenyiora is the only player in Giants history with 3 touchdowns on fumble returns.
Was voted to the Pro Bowl following the 2005 and 2007 seasons.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Has played in 88 regular season games with 62 starts and started all 6 postseason games in which he's played at right defensive end…He has 283 tackles (183 solo), 48.5 sacks, 9 passes defensed, 18 forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries…Has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice and Special Teams Player of the Week once.

In 2009, played in all 16 games with 11 starts at defensive right end…Finished the season with 45 tackles (19 solo), a team-high 7.0 sacks, 4 forced fumbles (tied with Justin Tuck for the team lead) and a team-high 4 fumble recoveries…Led the team in sacks for the 5th time in 6 seasons...Had a season-high 2 sacks at Kansas City (10/4) and a season-best 5 tackles at New Orleans (10/18)…Tallied 3 tackles and a sack vs. Washington (9/13)…On one play in the 2nd quarter, he had a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and return for a touchdown. On 2nd-and-8 from the Giants' 42-yard line, Umenyiora sacked Jason Campbell for an 11-yard loss. He forced Campbell to cough up the ball, which Umenyiora scooped up and returned 37 yards for a touchdown. It was Umenyiora's 3rd career touchdown, and all of them have been on returns after fumble recoveries. He brought one back 50 yards at Baltimore on Dec. 12, 2004 and 75 yards vs. San Francisco on Oct. 21, 2007.
Umenyiora missed the entire 2008 season after undergoing knee surgery…He suffered a torn lateral meniscus cartilage in his left knee in a preseason game vs. the Jets on Aug. 23….Underwent surgery and was placed on injured reserve 3 days later.

In 2007, started all 16 regular season games and 4 postseason games at right defensive end…Umenyiora was the only member of the Super Bowl champion Giants selected to the Pro Bowl, the 2nd time he was chosen…Led the team in sacks for the 4th consecutive season with 13.0 for 87 yards…Also had 53 tackles (33 solo), 2 pass defensed, 5 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries…Was twice named NFC Defensive Player of the Week…Added 10 tackles (7 solo) and a fumble recovery in the playoffs.

Set a Giants record with 6.0 sacks vs. Philadelphia (9/30). The old record of 4.5 sacks was set by Pepper Johnson at Tampa Bay on Nov. 24, 1991. The NFL record of 7.0 sacks was set by the late Hall of Famer Derrick Thomas for Kansas City against Seattle on Nov. 11, 1990. Umenyiora is tied for 2nd in league history with San Francisco's Fred Dean (6.0 sacks vs. New Orleans on Nov. 13, 1983) and Thomas (6.0 sacks vs. Oakland on Sept. 6, 1998)…Umenyiora's previous career high was 2.0 sacks, which he had accomplished 6 times…He entered the game with no sacks in 2007 and just 1 sack in his last 8 games dating back to 2006 – not counting his sack in the Giants' postseason loss to Philadelphia…In addition to his 6 sacks, he forced 2 fumbles and had 4 QB hurries…Contributed to a defense that set a team record for sacks with 12.0…The previous Giants record was 9 sacks, which they accomplished 3 times. Two of the three games were at home against the Eagles, most recently on Aug. 31, 1997. They also had nine sacks on Dec. 6, 1987 against Philadelphia and Dec. 14, 1986 vs. the St. Louis Cardinals…Was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Finished with 4 solo tackles, 1 sack, 3 QB hurries and 3 QB hits vs. the Jets (10/7)…Recorded his 7th sack of the season when he dropped Chad Pennington for a 7-yard loss in the 4th quarter.
Had 3 tackles (2 solo), 1 sack, 2 QB hits, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries vs. San Francisco (10/21)…Scored the Giants' 3rd touchdown of the game when he sacked Trent Dilfer for a 10-yard loss, forced a fumble that he recovered and returned 75 yards for a score in the 3rd quarter. It was the longest fumble return for a touchdown by a Giant since Sept. 9, 1984, when linebacker Andy Headen brought one back 81 yards in a victory over Dallas…The performance earned Umenyiora his 2nd Player of the Week award in 2007.

Posted his second 2-sack game of the season vs. Minnesota (11/25)…Also had sacks in each of the next 2 games, at Chicago (12/2) and at Philadelphia (12/9)…Contributed 6 tackles (4 solo) and a 10-yard sack in the Giants' playoff-clinching victory at Buffalo (12/23).

Made a big contribution in Super Bowl XLII vs. New England (2/3), with 3 tackles (2 solo), 2 QB hurries and a team-high 5 QB hits. Also recovered a Tom Brady fumble after the quarterback was hit by Justin Tuck and lost the ball in the 2nd quarter...Tackled RB Laurence Maroney for losses of 3 yards in the 2nd quarter and 2 yards in the 3rd quarter.

In 2006, started all 11 regular season games in which he played and the NFC Wild Card Game at right defensive end…Led the team with 6.0 sacks despite missing 5 games with a strained hip flexor…Finished the season with 39 tackles (27 solo), 16 QB hurries, 12 QB hits, 1 pass defensed and 1 forced fumble.
Contributed 4 tackles, 1 sack and 3 QB hurries in the NFC Wild Card game at Philadelphia (1/7/07)…In 2005, started all 16 regular season games and the NFC Wild Card Game vs. Carolina at right defensive end…Finished with 70 tackles (49 solo), 14.5 sacks, 3 passes defensed, 4 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

His 14.5 sacks placed him 1st in the NFC and 2nd in the NFL and was the highest total by a Giant other than Michael Strahan since Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor had 15 in 1989…Umenyiora and Strahan combined for 26 sacks, the most by any pair of NFL teammates…Umenyiora was selected to his 1st Pro Bowl and was named 1st-team All-Pro by both the Associated Press and Pro Football Weekly and was selected the NFL's Most Improved Player by Pro Football Weekly.
Umenyiora and Strahan became the 1st tandem of defensive ends from the same team to go to the Pro Bowl together since Jason Taylor and Trace Armstrong of the Miami Dolphins in 2000.
Finished with 5 tackles (4 solo), 2 sacks and a forced fumble at Oakland (12/31)…Dropped Kerry Collins for a 12-yard loss in the 2nd quarter and recorded his 2nd sack of the game in the 4th quarter when he stripped Collins of the ball for a 9-yard loss.

In 2004, played in 16 games with 7 starts at defensive right end…Led the team with 7.0 sacks, 4 fumble recoveries (including 1 he returned for a touchdown) and 3 forced fumbles along with 58 tackles (42 solo) and 3 passes defensed.

Recorded 9 tackles, 1 sack and a forced fumble vs. Dallas (1/2)… Sacked Vinny Testaverde and forced a fumble in the 4th quarter that was recovered by Reggie Torbor and led to Tiki Barber's 3-yard touchdown reception…Did not start at Baltimore (12/12), but recorded 4 tackles, a half-sack, 2 passes defensed and a fumble recovery. Scored the 1st touchdown of his career when he recovered a Kyle Boller fumble that was forced by a Reggie Torbor sack and returned it 50 yards in the 2nd quarter.
As a rookie in 2003, played in 13 games with 1 start...Finished with 19 tackles (15 solo), 1 sack and one special teams tackle in rookie season.
Set up all 3 Giants touchdowns in season finale against Carolina (12/28), the first 2 with blocked punts and the third with a sack and forced fumble that was recovered for a score by Keith Washington. Umenyiora's feat was the first time the Giants blocked 2 punts in 1 game since Oct. 9, 1943 against the Phil-Pitt Steagles, a team made up of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia players during World War II. Named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. He finished with 4 tackles (1 solo) and a sack for a loss of 17 yards.

COLLEGE

Played in 48 games with 46 starts for Troy, recording 276 tackles (129 solo) with 25 sacks for minus-140 yards, 39 stops for losses of 168 yards, 71 quarterback pressures, 7 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and a pass deflection…He was a teammate of Lawrence Tynes.

As a senior, was named All-America honorable mention and All-Independent 1st team selection by The NFL Draft Report…Started every game at right defensive end, recording 57 tackles (35 solo) with 3 forced fumbles…Set school records with 43 quarterback pressures and 16 sacks for minus 81 yards.

OFF FIELD ACTIVITY

Is a participating member of The Make a Play Foundation, an NFL player driven organization dedicated to making a difference in Africa's most under-developed regions. The Make a Play Foundation's aim is to fundraise for, and support the infrastructure projects and sustainable development solutions Africa needs to break the cycle of poverty, famine and disease.

Joined Drew Brees and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on a USO Tour, visiting troops in the Middle East in July of 2008.

Attended the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation's Leatherneck Ball.
Participated in Coach Coughlin's Jay Fund Foundation fundraiser dinner and golf outing.
Participated in the Antonio Pierce Youth Fund's Scholarship Golf Outing in Bermuda.

Hosted youth from PSE&G Children's Specialized Hospital at Giants' Training Camp and filmed a PSA encouraging donations on behalf of the hospital.

Attended the Champions for Children fundraiser gala benefitting the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation.

Attended Tutan Reyes' Beyond the Boroughs Bowling Fundraiser, which provides scholarships to high school students looking to pursue college.
Attended the Giants Kickoff Luncheon benefitting St. Vincent's Medical Center.

PERSONAL

Has a son (Tijani)…Son of John and Ijgoma Umenyiora.
Attended Auburn (Ala.) High.

Umenyiora, who spent the first 7 years of his life in London, lived with his family in Nigeria from the ages of 7-14…In 2007, Umenyiora was made a chief in the Nigerian village of Okbunike when he visited there. Born on Nov. 16, 1981 in London, England.

Read more