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We're Out of Time

From NFL to TV Stardom: Akbar Gbajabiamila on Identity, Addiction & Resilience

1/13/202651 min

On this episode of We’re Out Of Time, host Richard Taite sits down with former NFL player turned Emmy-nominated television host Akbar Gbajabiamila for an honest, deeply personal conversation about identity, resilience, and reinvention after professional sports. Best known as the longtime host of American Ninja Warrior and former co-host of CBS’ The Talk, Akbar opens up about the moments that shaped his life on and off the field.

Akbar reflects on traveling to Nigeria and witnessing his father reunite with his mother after 32 years apart, an experience that allowed him to see his father as a child...

Clips

From Depression To First Break
Secret Audition, Life-Changing Call
Down To His Last $40K
Vicodin Habit And A Wake-Up
Seeing Dad Become A Child
Never Finishing Last
You Can’t Remove Violence
Proving It On The Course

Transcript preview

First 90 seconds

  1. Akbar Gbajabiamila· Guest0:00

    I just took what I had made, you know, from the NFL, um, and I leveraged that on myself.

  2. Richard Taite· Host0:06

    And then what happened?

  3. Akbar Gbajabiamila· Guest0:07

    [laughs] I got married. [laughs] You know. And [laughs] And then, and then, and then- And then I had a child ...

  4. Richard Taite· Host0:11

    and then good things started happening.

  5. Akbar Gbajabiamila· Guest0:12

    Uh, no, actually no. [laughs] No. A- after I got married and, uh, you know, and had a child, I actually started running out of money.

  6. Speaker 20:20

    [upbeat music] If someone has a problem with substance use disorder, please call One Call Placement. That's 888-831-1581. And if we can't help you, we'll make a referral to someone who can. One Call Placement is affiliated with Carrera Treatment Wellness and Spa and One Method Treatment Centers.

  7. Richard Taite· Host0:56

    Today on We're Out of Time, we're joined by Akbar Gbajabiamila.

  8. Akbar Gbajabiamila· Guest1:03

    There you go. You got it. Uh, there's a biamila in there, but you got it.

  9. Richard Taite· Host1:06

    Gbajabiamila.

  10. Akbar Gbajabiamila· Guest1:07

    Come on, man.

  11. Richard Taite· Host1:08

    Former NFL player turned television personality and Emmy-nominated host. You know him from American Ninja Warrior and from his run on the CBS daytime show The Talk, which wrapped its series run last year. He also co-hosts the new podcast 154 Africa. Akbar,

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