Daniel Adongo's journey to the NFL once embodied one of sports' most unlikely success stories. A standout rugby player from Kenya with no organized American football experience, he became the first Kenyan-born athlete to play in a regular-season NFL game after signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2013. More than a decade later, his story has taken a dramatically different turn, ending with deportation from the United States after years marked by mental health struggles, legal troubles and immigration violations.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed that Adongo, 37, was deported to Kenya on June 20 after an immigration judge ordered his removal. ICE said the former linebacker had remained in the United States after his visa expired in 2016 and cited his criminal history as grounds for deportation. The agency said he had been convicted of criminal mischief in 2020 and had previously been arrested on charges including domestic battery, intimidation and disorderly conduct. Those arrests did not all result in convictions.
