Akbar Gbaja - Biamila Akbar Oluwakemi - Idowu Gbaja - Biamila ( born May 6 , 1979 ) is a former American football defensive end , who currently works as a sports analyst for NBC and NFL Network . He was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2003 . He played college football at San Diego State . He currently works for NBC Sports as a college football analyst , previously held the same position with CBS College Sports Network . During the football offseason Gbajabiamila heads Rush the Passer a comprehensive defensive line training program preparing college / professional defensive linemen to elevate their skills . Gbaja - Biamila has also played for the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins . He is the younger brother of former Green Bay Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja - Biamila . Early years . Gbajabiamila a former hoop star who won " Back - to - Back " City and State Championships ( 1996 , 1997 ) with the dynasty of the Crenshaw High School Basketball teams of the Willie West Jr . era , made the move to play football in his senior year . Gbajabiamila was an all - league and all - conference choice as senior at Crenshaw High School in South Los Angeles , California . He was also named team ’ s defensive lineman of the year , compiling 11 sacks and 74 tackles in his senior campaign . College career . Gbajabiamila has always lived an active lifestyle , one that combined social consciousness with athletic success . He helped his alma mater , Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles ( where he is again volunteering to assist the school ’ s athletes in training and life skills ) , win back to back city and state basketball championships in 1996 and 1997 before moving on to the gridiron for his senior season . His defensive prowess earned him all - league and all - conference selections and led to a scholarship to San Diego State University , where he was all - Mountain West Conference in his senior year of 2002 . However it was off the field where Akbar began making his biggest impact as an undergrad . He joined the group Athletes For Education , one of a handful of collegiate players that were part of the outreach group , and worked with founder Steve Haynes and a group of San Diego - area professional players to go into communities and work with young people on life skills . Akbar ’ s passion was speaking about financial literacy , and he spent hours working with youth in San Diego about the value of investing and understanding how the financial system worked . He also worked on reading and math programs with impoverished youth , giving him insight as a young athlete into the value of community assistance . Professional career . Oakland Raiders . Gbajabiamila went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft and later signed with the Oakland Raiders as a free agent . He made the team out of training camp and played in 13 of the team ' s 16 regular season games , while being inactive for three . He recorded seven tackles ( four solo ) on the season , with his first and only sack of the season coming against Daunte Culpepper , then with the Minnesota Vikings . In 2004 Gbajabiamila split time between defensive end and linebacker , occasionally filling in for players such as Travian Smith and Tyler Brayton . He appeared in 14 games for the Raiders during the regular season and was inactive for two games . He accumulated a career - high 14 tackles ( 11 solo ) and added a sack on the year . His lone sack came against Brad Johnson and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , while he recorded a season - high three tackles in games against the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars . Gbaja - Biamila also recovered a blocked punt against the Carolina Panthers which led to a Raiders touchdown . Battling injuries during the 2005 training camp , Gbaja - Biamila was released by the Raiders on September 3 . He had a workout with the Green Bay Packers two days later , but he was not signed and spent the season out of football . In 2008 resigned with the Raiders and was released to retire as a Raider . San Diego Chargers . Gbajabiamila returned to the NFL in 2006 after being signed by the San Diego Chargers on January 12 . The fit was a good one for him , who as slightly undersized yet quick defensive end was a perfect fit for the 3 - 4 defense employed by then - defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and the Chargers . Miami Dolphins . On February 6 , 2007 it was announced that Gbajabiamila had been signed to a future contract with the Miami Dolphins . The move reunited him with new Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron , who was offensive coordinator in San Diego the season before when Gbaja - Biamila was a member of the Chargers . On September 11 , 2007 he was released by the Dolphins . He spent the season out of football . Other . An undrafted free agent , Gbajabiamila signed with the Oakland Raiders and spent two seasons with the silver and black , before moving on to spend time with both the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins before retiring in 2008 . All the time in professional football , Akbar was looking for what ’ s next in his non - playing career , and how he could use those skills and assets to help others . In 2005 , he was selected as one the NFL ’ s first athletes into their Broadcast Boot Camp , held at NFL Films in Mount Laurel , N . J . , and designed to give 20 players a short and rigorous look into the skills needed to embark on a broadcast or journalism career after their playing days were over . He also took advantage of some time between playing stints to volunteer at KSWB , the NBC affiliate in San Diego , and ended up as the co - host for “ Football Night in San Diego , ” while he awaited his next chance back in the pros . He hosted the show for two and a half seasons ( 2006 – 2008 ) before getting one last look at the NFL with the Miami Dolphins . Personal . Name meaning . Akbar ’ s full name is Akbar Oluwakemi - Idowu Gbajabiamila . Akbar is Arabic and means " great . " His middle and last names are Yoruba . The middle names , Oluwakemi means " God blessed me " and Idowu means " born after twins . " His older brother Kabeer Gbaja - Biamila has a twin . His last name , Gbaja - Biamila means " big man come save me . " This name comes from his paternal great - great - grandfather who stood seven feet tall and was the village moderator in the Nigerian village in which he lived . Family . In 2002 his mother , Bolatito , died in a tragic car accident . In 2004 his father , Mustapha , after years of treatment , was diagnosed with Parkinson ' s disease . Symptoms of Mustapha ' s Parkinson ' s first started to show up in 1998 , after attending his youngest son ’ s , Abdul - Jabbar ( Akbar ’ s junior brother ) home football game , Mustapha collapsed due to dehydration and was admitted to MLK - Harbor . It was from here that his symptoms of Parkinson ' s escalated . While a member of the Chargers in 2006 , Akbar routinely drove back - and - forth from San Diego to Los Angeles to spend time with his father . Akbar now lives in California with his wife , son , & daughter Television career . With his playing career over , Akbar turned his focus to the broadcast booth in addition to his philanthropic work , serving as an analyst for the Mtn . Network and CBS Sports Network for two years , while also taking voice and acting classes . He also founded Rush The Passer , a year - round athletic and academic and life skills program for youth in Southern California . In 2010 was approached by reality producer Mark Burnett to be part of a three - man athlete team for his latest project on ABC . That role , and the exposure that comes with it , will help continue to further Akbar ’ s broadcast and activist roles . Since 2009 , Gbajabiamila has been an analyst for Division I games on CBS College Sports . He is a contestant on the reality adventure game show " Expedition Impossible " . His team " The Football Players " finished in 4th place on the show . As of 2012 , he has joined the NFL Network as a member of the NFL Fantasy Live cast of hosts .