Israel Idonije

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Israel Idonije
Date of birth November 17, 1980
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Position(s) Defensive end
College Manitoba
Statistics
Team(s)
2004-present Chicago Bears

Israel Idonije (born November 17, 1980 in Lagos, Nigeria, later immigrated with his family to Brandon, Manitoba) is a Canadian playing defensive tackle for the National Football League's Chicago Bears. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Manitoba. A former member of the now defunct Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League, "Izzy" (as he is affectionately referred to by his teamates), spent a year on the Cleveland Browns' practice roster. According to Alex Brown, another defensive end for the Chicago Bears, Idonije is "280 pounds and has 9 percent body fat," and eats no fat whatsoever. He also has two brothers, Rhema Idonije, who plays for the Winnipeg Rifles in the CJFL (Canadian Junior Football League), and Emmanuel Idonije, who was a member of the Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves Men’s Basketball team in the A.C.A.C (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference).