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If you’re an American Ninja Warrior fan, you probably feel like you know host Akbar Gbajabiamila pretty well. After all, each season we spend hours listening to his exuberant commentary and having one-sided conversations with your TV around it. (Is that just us?)
But recently, Akbar called into the Wolfpack Ninja podcast and gave us an awesome look at the man behind television’s greatest puns. He’s a family man, he’s dedicated to his community, and he’s passionate about mental, physical and spiritual health.
You can check out the entire podcast here, and at the bottom of this article. Here are 12 facts you’ll learn along the way.
- He has four kids.
- He played in the NFL for five years.
- His parents were both born in Nigeria.
- If you thought his name was awesome before, get ready. His first name means “great” in Arabic. Part of his middle name means “born after twins.” And his last name means, wait for it, “Big man come save me.”
- The family’s last name developed its meaning because Akbar’s great-great grandfather was a seven foot tall man who always helped mediate conflicts in the village. So... “Big man come save me.”
- Akbar has six siblings.
- He once helped a cop during a hit and run by using his car to protect the fallen officer and then chasing down the perpetrator to collect the license place number. It’s pretty epic. Listen to it at about the 13:30 mark.
- Yes, he actually IS that excited on American Ninja Warrior.
- He’s raising his kids to always help others. One of his daughter’s has a heart for the homeless and tries to do everything she can to help those in need.
- His number one piece of advice is “Get up. Look up. Never give up.”
- He has quit processed sugar and strongly encourages others to do the same.
- Team Ninja Warrior is exhausting on his vocals due to the non-stop action.
Listen to Akbar’s full interview with Noah Kaufman and the Wolfpack!
The Wolfpack is currently selling tickets to their huge Wolfpack Ninja Tour event in Denver, CO. Learn more and purchase tickets here.