Former Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha could not have envisioned this career change when he was among the best players in the game.
The four-time All-Pro starred in the NFL for 11 seasons, picking off quarterbacks at an amazing clip.
Asomugha, 38, is now showing out on the acting circuit. He’s starring with David Alan Grier, Blair Underwood and Jerry O’Connell in “A Soldier’s Play” on Broadway.
It’s a revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning military murder mystery, which initially starred Denzel Washington back in 1981. Asomugha is taking over his role, putting the former NFLer in Academy Award winning company.
“With theatre, it’s life for me,” Asomugha said, via Playbill. “You’re breathing the same air as the audience. You hit go and you can’t stop until it’s all over. There are no mistakes because it’s just real life. If you drop your brush, you’ve gotta go pick it up. There’s no calling cut, which I love.”
That really is some awesome stuff. Going from an All-Pro performer and two-time Pro Bowl cornerback to hamming it up on stage and showing your acting chops.
The Cal grad has had himself one heck of a post-football life since retiring back in 2013. That’s fore sure.