ADONGO TAKES A TASTE OF KENYA TO THE NFL

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merican football (NFL) has finally found new fans in Kenya. Well; Kenya has its first son of the soil playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Yes, twenty-four year old Daniel Adongo-he who made a shift from rugby to the NFL (US National Football League).

With the change; Adongo had to work out the lingo and nuances of the sport; learn the proper way to put on pads and a helmet and know his place in the colts’ locker room.

But even as he adjusts and starts to feel comfortable; there’s still more work to do; but the newly minted linebacker will get to show the American football world how far he’s come in just a few months.

The AP (Associated Press) reports that it was late July last year when general manger Ryan Grison decided to take the plunge after a yearlong quest to find an overseas player who could help his team. Grison gambled on Adongo; a Kenyan rugby player who was big; fast and had a penchant for hitting.

Adongo surprised initially by the invite; made the flight to Atlanta; then hopped on a connecting plane to Indy and worked out at the Colts’ headquarters during a rookie mini-camp. Within hours; the Colts signed Adongo to a contract and two days later; the 6-foot 5, (1.96m, 117kg) American Football novice stood out When he reported to training camp in  a pair of short-shorts and football-style shirt.

Daniel Adongo has played for Kenya’s under-18 and u-19 rugby squads. In 2006, scouts from the University of South Africa spotted Adongo during a tournament and a year later; he was attending the school. Then I t was off to Sharks Academy. He’s competed in second-tier club championship in South Africa and New Zealand since 2010; and made his super-rugby debut in 2013 with Southern Kings.

However, the widely praised Adongo; it emerges that he will be earning “peanuts,” $405,000 (sh 34.4 million) in basic salary compared to other team members.

But even that isn’t putting him down. In an interview recently on Citizen-TV and later on; on Churchill Show; Adongo added that he knew the spotlight was now on him and with few doubters left-many wait to see if he will cut it in the NFL.

>BY EMBUKANE VINCENT LIBOSSO.