Israel Idonije is the first graduate of the University of Manitoba Bisons football program to play in the National Football League. His off-the-field public service and philanthropic commitments to his home province and children around the world have earned him even greater recognition. At the age of four, he emigrated from Nigeria to Canada with his missionary parents and grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. At the U of M, he helped lead the Bison football team to the 2001 Vanier Cup and, in 2002, was named Manitoba Male Athlete of the Year. In the NFL, Israel Idonije gained acclaim as a defensive lineman with the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2012, which included a 2006 Super Bowl appearance. He played the 2013 season with the Detroit Lions and in 2014 was traded back to the Bears. Guided by his concern for others, in 2007, he established the Israel Idonije Foundation whose programs include Project Africa and “IZZYz KIDz”. He has sponsored and participated directly in youth development programming in Winnipeg as well as programs in Chicago and West Africa. His charitable efforts have been recognized locally and internationally and lauded by both the Premier of Manitoba and the White House.
