Sam Acho
NFL Linebacker and Public Speaker
In his own words…
Sam Acho is a football player, humanitarian, public speaker, and committed Christian.
After playing college football at the University of Texas, he was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011, and played four seasons as a linebacker with the team before signing with the Chicago Bears for the 2015-16 season. In 2016 and 2017, he was the Bears’ Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, the league’s only award that recognizes both civic and professional contributions. As a senior at the University of Texas, he received the Wuerffel Trophy for outstanding community service in addition to being named the Longhorns’ MVP.
Having grown up in Dallas with parents who emphasized scholastic achievement, Acho received the William V. Campbell Trophy for being college football’s top scholar-athlete. He was also named by Sporting News as one of the 20 smartest athletes in all of sports. Acho finished his MBA in 2015 at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, AZ.
Every year he joins his family on medical missions trips to Nigeria. They recently built a hospital there through Living Hope Christian Ministries, an organization founded by Acho’s parents. As a public speaker, he enjoys opportunities to encourage and inspire others to fulfill their calling by following Christ and serving others.
