Akbar Gbaja-Biamila is the co-host of American Ninja Warrior, NBC’s heart-racing obstacle course competition series that has been nominated for two Emmys, and its USA Network spin-off show, ANW: Ninja vs. Ninja, as well as NFL Fantasy Live, which is the NFL Network’s highest-rated and fastest-growing show.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Akbar Gbaja-Biamila |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | 1979/5/6 |
| Birth Country | United States Of America |
| Birth Place | Los Angeles, California, |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Ethnicity | American |
| Father Name | Mustapha |
| Mother Name | Bolatito |
Biography
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila was born in Los Angeles, California, to Akbar Gbajabiamila and his family on May 6, 1979. Akbar is a man in his forties who is 43 years old. He’s a tall, athletic man with a good physique. Akbar is 6 feet and 6 inches tall.
Education and Parents
Akbar is a native of Los Angeles, California, in the United States. He is the son of Nigerian immigrants who arrived as children in the United States. Mustapha (his father) and Bolatito (his mother) are his parents (the mother).
In addition, he grew up in the same house with his six siblings. Furthermore, Akbar was nurtured in a Sunni Muslim family with Yoruba and Nigerian ancestors, which had a strong influence on him. On the other hand, his mother became a Christian.
In addition, while in college, Akbar made the decision to become a Christian. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, a former Green Bay Packers defensive end who is now a professional basketball player, is his brother. Akbar’s paternal grandfather, who was born in Nigeria and measured 7 feet tall, was a village moderator in his town ( approx 2.1m ).
How did Akbar lost his Mother?
Akbar, on the other hand, lost his mother in a vehicle accident in 2002. In addition, he has Parkinson’s disease, which his father was diagnosed with in the year 2000. Akbar attended Crenshaw High School in the South Los Angeles region for his high school studies.
During his senior year, Akbar began playing football. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and new media studies from San Diego State University, which he earned in 2008. Akbar also earned a certificate in entrepreneurial studies from the Wharton School of Business in 2005.
Who is the wife of Akbar Gbaja-Biamila?
Since 2005, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila has been married to Chrystal Gbaja, with whom he has two children. The couple has four children: Elijah and Nasir, two boys, and Saheedat and Naomi, two daughters. The two oldest boys are Elijah and Nasir.
When asked how she met the man who would become her husband, Chrystal, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila says she met him at one of his football games, a game between the Oakland Raiders and the Carolina Panthers. They were introduced after the game by a mutual acquaintance who had known them previously.
Photo Source: Akbar’s Facebook
Akbar and Chrystal began dating after getting to know one another. They took care of their love relationship, and in late 2004, they exchanged engagement rings for the first time. And they exchanged wedding vows in the year 2005 as well. They walked down the aisle with their closest friends and family at their sides.
How much is Akbar Net Worth?
In addition to his work with the NFL and CBS, Akbar Gbajabiamila is the color commentator for the television series American Ninja Warrior. The yearly compensation for Akbar is $185,800. For the past five years, he has been a former NFL football player.
Aside from that, Akbar has spent the last ten years working in the television sector. As a result, there’s little doubt that Akbar has earned considerable fortune over the course of his life. Akbar has a $7 million net worth.
Career and Professional Life
Despite going undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft, Gbajabiamila finally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders. He made the team out of training camp and played in 13 of the team’s 16 regular-season games.
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila finished the season with seven tackles (four of them solo), including his first and only sack against Daunte Culpepper, who was with the Minnesota Vikings at the time of his injury.
Image Source: Akbar Gbaja-Biamila’s Facebook
Gbaja-Biamila split his time between defensive end and linebacker in 2004, filling in for players like Travian Smith and Tyler Brayton who were injured. During the regular season, he only played in 14 games for the Raiders, with two of those games being forfeited due to injury.
Gbajabiamila also recovered a blocked punt for the Oakland Raiders against the Carolina Panthers, which resulted in a touchdown on the next play. Gbajabiamila was released by the Raiders on September 3 after struggling with injuries throughout the 2005 training camp.
The Green Bay Packers offered Akbar Gbaja-Biamilanext a tryout two days later, but he was dismissed and did not play football again this year. On January 12, 2006, the San Diego Chargers signed Gbajabiamila, and he returned to the NFL in 2006. He was a good match for the Chargers’ 3-4 defense, which was commanded by Wade Phillips at the time and featured an undersized but quick defensive end.
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The Television Career of Akbar Gbaja-Biamila
Akbar has focused on charity work and broadcasting since retiring from professional basketball after eight years of service, working as an analyst for the Mountain Network and CBS Sports Network for two years while also pursuing voice and acting training.
In addition, he founded Rush The Passer, a year-round physical, intellectual, and life skills program for adolescents in Southern California. In 2010, he was approached by reality producer Mark Burnett about joining his newest show on ABC, Expedition Impossible, in which he would be part of a three-man athletic squad.
Image Source: Akbar Gbaja-Biamila’s Facebook
His team, The Football Players, came in fourth place after four weeks of competition. Because of his performance in that role and the attention that came with it, Akbar’s visibility grew. He has been a part of the NFL Network’s lineup of presenters since 2012, and he conducts his NFL Fantasy Live show.
He co-hosted American Ninja Warrior with Matt Iseman in 2013, which airs on G4, Esquire Network, and NBC, among other networks. Apart from that, Akbar co-hosts Team Ninja Warrior with Iseman, an Esquire Network spin-off of American Ninja Warrior that debuted in 2016, and American Ninja Warrior Junior with Iseman, a Universal Kids series that debuted in 2018.
Akbar and Iseman deliver their voices as themselves in American Ninja Warrior: Challenge. On May 10, 2018, Gbaja-Biamila threw out the first pitch at Citizens Bank Park before a game between the San Francisco Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies that was widely regarded as one of baseball’s worst.