Olasunkanmi "Ola" Adeniyi (born September 12, 1997) is a Nigerian

gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...

outside linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

who is a free agent. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at Toledo. He was signed by the

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2018.

Early years

When Adeniyi was six years old, his mother, Esther, moved to the United States in order set up a better life for Adeniyi's family. Adeniyi and his older brother, Olamide, stayed with a family member in Nigeria. After two years, he and his brother moved to Houston, Texas reuniting with their mother. He graduated from

George Bush High School George Bush High School is a public high school located in the Mission Bend census designated place and in unincorporated Fort Bend County, Texas, serving students in grades 9-12. The school has a "Richmond, Texas" postal address but is not in ...

Fort Bend County, Texas Fort Bend County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The county was founded in 1837 and organized the next year. It is named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The community developed around the fort in early days. T ...

. As a senior, he recorded 76 tackles, of which 18 were for loss, and five sacks. He signed to play football for the

Toledo Rockets The Toledo Rockets are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The ...

in February 2014.

College career

Adeniyi did not play as a true freshman in 2014 and chose to redshirt. As a redshirt freshman in 2015, he played in seven games as a backup. Adeniyi's breakout year came in 2016 as a redshirt sophomore as he played in all 13 of Toledo's games, starting 12. In those 13 games, he tallied 49 tackles (eight for loss) and four sacks. As a redshirt junior in 2017, Adeniyi played in all 14 of Toledo's games, recording 66 tackles (20 for loss), 8.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was named to the 2017 All-MAC Second-team. After the season, he declared for the

2018 NFL Draft The 2018 NFL Draft was the 83rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2018 NFL season. The draft was held on April 26–28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; it was the first draft ...

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

Adeniyi signed with the

as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2018. He was placed on injured reserve on September 3, 2018. He was activated off injured reserve on December 1, 2018. In Week 9 of the 2019 season against the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

, Adeniyi forced a fumble on Chester Rogers during a kick return and the ball was recovered by teammate

Johnny Holton Johnny Holton Jr. (born August 22, 1991) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Cincinnati Bearcats football, Cincinnati and was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2016. He was also a m ...

in the 26–24 win.

Tennessee Titans

Adeniyi signed with the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

on March 22, 2021. He entered the season as a backup linebacker and core special teamer. He finished third on the team in special teams tackles, and had a career-high 2.5 sacks on defense. On March 25, 2022, Adeniyi re-signed with the Titans. He was placed on injured reserve on October 17, 2022 with a neck injury. He was activated on December 3. On December 12, Adeniyi was released by the Titans.

References

External links

Pittsburgh Steelers bioToledo Rockets bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adeniyi, Ola 1997 births Living people Players of American football from Houston American football defensive ends Toledo Rockets football players Pittsburgh Steelers players Nigerian players of American football People from Richmond, Texas Players of American football from Fort Bend County, Texas Tennessee Titans players