Former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Daniel Adongo, a Kenyan rugby convert whose NFL signing in 2013 was considered an unusual roster experiment, has been deported from the United States. Federal immigration officials confirmed Saturday that Adongo, 37, was removed on June 20, capping a decade marked by arrests, court appearances, and psychiatric hospitalizations.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stated that Adongo had overstayed his visa since 2016, the year after his professional football career concluded. He was held without bond under the Laken Riley Act, and the department characterized him as a "dangerous" individual. Douglas Thompson, ICE Chicago assistant field office director, emphasized, "Those who violate immigration law are held equally accountable, including former professional athletes." His removal was ordered by a Justice Department immigration judge in March, following months of custody.
Adongo has one conviction, a Class A misdemeanor for criminal mischief in 2020, which resulted in a 364-day jail sentence, according to ICE. Other arrests on charges of intimidation, battery, and disorderly conduct were ultimately dismissed. Court records reviewed by the Indianapolis Star indicate that judges twice found Adongo incompetent to stand trial. In one filing, Dr. Jason Jaronik noted Adongo was acutely psychotic and suggested a possible traumatic brain injury from his time as an athlete. His mother, Betty Adongo, had previously requested the court release her son for a medical evaluation, with family and social workers believing his illness is connected to injuries sustained during his athletic career. However, no such link can be definitively confirmed in a living patient.
The Colts signed Adongo in July 2013 when he was 23 and playing Super Rugby in South Africa, despite him never having watched a football game. The team dedicated a season to teaching him the sport on the practice field. He appeared in five games over three seasons, playing only one defensive snap, and earned approximately $694,000. Indianapolis waived him in December 2015, just one week after police responded to his home for a reported domestic disturbance. This incident marked the second such call in two months, though no charges were filed in either case.
