James Ihedigbo
Encyclopedia
New York Jets
In a 16–13 overtime loss to the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 18, 2009, Ihedigbo and fellow Jet Marques Murrell
Marques Murrell
Marques Murrell is an American football linebacker for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Appalachian State.Murrell has also played for the New York Jets and New England...
threw punches at Bills Tight End Derek Fine
Derek Fine
Derek Fine is an American football tight end who is currently a Free Agent in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Kansas.Fine has also been a member of the St...
, prompting Ihedigbo to be ejected from the game by officials. The NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
fined both players for $5,000 and head coach Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan is an American football head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League . After serving as an assistant coach for twenty-two years, Ryan attained his first head coaching job in the NFL with the Jets in 2009...
benched Ihedigbo, along with Murrell, for the following game against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
New England Patriots
Ihedigbo signed with the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on August 19, 2011. Ihedigbo became a starter with the Patriots after a number of other defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
s were either cut or injured. Prior to the start of the season, Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather
Brandon Meriweather is an American football safety for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots 24th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Meriweather's mother gave birth to him when...
as well as fellow starter James Sanders
James Sanders
James Sanders is an American football safety for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
were cut. Through ten games in the 2011 season, Ihedigbo started 6 games and made 42 tackles.
Personal
Ihedigbo was born to Rose and Apollos Ihedigbo, immigrants from NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Ihedigbo has three other brothers, Emeka, Nate, David and a sister, Onyii.
Philanthropy
Ihedigbo founded the HOPE Africa Foundation in 2008 to help provide educational services for underprivileged communities in Africa. The foundation offers a wealth of assistance to these communities in the form of scholarships, mentoring, funding, and developmental projects.Ihedigbo is also involved in the Nigerian Agricultural Technical Community College, founded by his parents.