Tuesday, May 9, 2023
6:30-8:30 PM
CHA Student Center
All 2022-23 CHA Upper School athletes and their families are invited!
Join us for a memorable evening, including:
~ Great fellowship ~
~ Pizza ~
~ Team introductions ~
~ Athletic awards ~
RSVP by 5/5
Suggested donation at the door: $5/person for pizza
The Details:
Ticket Cost:
Featured Speaker: Sam Acho
Samuel Onyedikachi Acho is a writer, motivational speaker, humanitarian, and a committed Christian. He speaks widely at colleges, events, conferences, and churches, and also co-hosts “The Home Team Podcast” and the “Athletes for Justice Podcast.” He is a sports analyst for Stadium, NBC 5 Chicago, and SportsNet Toronto. He played as a professional linebacker in the NFL for nine seasons.
Sam played college football at the University of Texas where he received the William V. Campbell Trophy for being college football’s top scholar-athlete. He also won the NCAA Top VIII award, recognizing the top eight student-athletes in all of college sports. Named the 2010 Male Big 12 Sportsperson of the Year, Sam was drafted to the NFL by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 and played four seasons as a linebacker with the team before signing with the Chicago Bears for an additional four years. He is currently retired.
In 2016 and 2017, Sam was the Chicago Bears’ nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, the league’s only award that recognizes both civic and professional contributions. Sam served on the leadership committee for both the Arizona Cardinals and the Chicago Bears. He is also currently Vice President of the NFL Players Association, an organization in which he has served since his second year in the NFL.
In 2020, Sam hung up his cleats and picked up his microphone. He is a color analyst for Fox, a College Football Analyst for Stadium, and an NFL Analyst for NBC Chicago and Sportsnet Toronto. He also put on his humanitarian hat. He recently built a food mart on the West Side of Chicago, an area that was once a food desert, which will open in Summer 2021.
Sam grew up in Dallas with parents who emphasized scholastic achievement, and was named by Sporting News as one of the 20 smartest athletes in all of sports. He earned his MBA in 2015 at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, the #1 ranked International MBA program in the world. Every year Sam joins his family on medical mission trips to Nigeria. He recently built a hospital there through Living Hope Christian Ministries, an organization for which he serves as a Vice President. Sam is also the Founder and President of Athletes for Justice, an organization that exists to unite professional athletes and everyday athletes together to fight injustices around the world. He has been featured in Super Bowl commercials highlighting his social justice efforts in the city of Chicago.
Sam has spent time doing humanitarian work with organizations such as International Justice Mission, the American Diabetes Association, and the Clinton Global Initiative, lobbying Congress to change laws related to justice issues both inside and outside of the USA. As a public speaker, Sam enjoys opportunities to encourage and inspire others to fulfill their calling by following Christ and serving others. He continues to speak widely, spreading his message of hope in Christ.
You can find more information about Sam (@TheSamAcho) on Twitter (31.5k followers) or Instagram (17.5k followers) or on his personal web site: www.SamAchoBook.com.