AKBAR Gbajabiamila’s high-profile move to Good Morning Football represents a homecoming for the former NFL star.

Gbajabiamila is joining the NFL Network signature show following its cross-country move to Los Angeles.

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He will become the traditional fourth person on the GMFB desk alongside co-hosts Jamie Erdahl, Kyle Brandt, and Peter Schrager.

And the American Ninja Warrior host will be making a return to NFL Network, where he made his name as an analyst from 2012-19.

The former San Diego State defensive end went undrafted in 2003 but signed a free-agent deal with the Oakland Raiders.

After two solid seasons, he was released by the Raiders following a series of injuries.

He came back to the NFL in 2006 with the San Diego Chargers before spending a season with the Miami Dolphins.

Gbajabiamila returned to the Raiders in 2008 but did not play a snap before being released.

During his time in the NFL, he was selected as one of the league’s first athletes for its Broadcast Boot camp.

He was part of a group of 20 players given a crash course in broadcast journalism.

The move served Gbajabiamila well as he worked for several TV stations during his time rehabilitating his injuries.

Upon retiring, the Los Angeles native served as an analyst for Mountain Network and CBS Sports Network for two years.

His big break as a competitor in the ABC reality show Expedition Impossible, which he leveraged to land a role at NFL Network.

The father of four further elevated his career by becoming a co-host of NBC’s American Ninja Warrior and CBS’s The Talk.

Gbajabiamila, who joined The Talk panel in 2021, became just the second full-time male co-host on the female-focused talk show.

It is something he is extremely proud of.

Meet the revamped Good Morning Football cast

SHERREE BURRUSS

Ex-CBS Sports sideline reporter and anchor who covered college basketball and college football and the NFL.

AKBAR GBAJABIAMILA

Former NFL linebacker who has served as a fantasy expert and analyst on NFL Fantasy Live.

KYLE BRANDT

Part of the original GMFB cast, joined NFL Network in 2016 after serving as a producer and writer for The Jim Rome Show for nine years.

PETER SCHRAGER

NFL sideline reporter and writer for Fox Sports, who launched GMFB together with Brandt in 2016.

JAMIE ERDAHL

Joined the GMFB cast in 2022 after an eight-year stint as an NFL sideline reporter and lead SEC reporter at CBS Sports.

“When I first got there it was like, ‘Wait a second…,’ because it’s a big guy being vulnerable about issues that guys go through,” he told Page Six.

“[But] after a while, Natalie [Morales], Sheryl [Underwood] and Amanda [Kloots] started receiving it like, ‘Hold on Akbar, I never thought of that perspective. We only saw it from our perspective.’ 

“So we were growing together.”

Gbajabiamila has modeled his broadcasting career on Michael Strahan, whom he says is “the blueprint for athletes transitioning into media.”

GMFB’s new dawn

Good Morning Football’s relaunch and return on July 29 was confirmed by NFL Network to coincide with training camp.

The morning show went off air in March ahead of a major shake-up and move to Los Angeles.

Jamie Erdahl made the cross-country switch from New York to continue fronting the show.

Her former partners Kyle Brandt and Peter Schrager will join her, but they will split their time between New York and Los Angeles.

Sherree Burruss and Akbar Gbajabiamila were confirmed as new additions to the revamped show.

He even once called the former New York Giants icon to shadow him.

“I just cold-called and said, ‘Hey, you know, I love what you’re doing. I’m excited about what you’re doing. Can I shadow you?'” he told People.

“I remember meeting him at his — I don’t know what they call that in New York — one of those high-rise, fancy-schmancy condos…

“Whatever it is, it was pretty fancy. I’d never seen anything like it. I met him early in the morning and we went from what he was doing with Kelly and Michael, and he then went from there to GMA. 

“He allowed me to shadow him through the whole process.”

Gbajabiamila says the experience was “overwhelming but exciting and encouraging.”

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Meet the revamped Good Morning Football cast

SHERREE BURRUSS

Ex-CBS Sports sideline reporter and anchor who covered college basketball and college football and the NFL.

AKBAR GBAJABIAMILA

Former NFL linebacker who has served as a fantasy expert and analyst on NFL Fantasy Live.

KYLE BRANDT

Part of the original GMFB cast, joined NFL Network in 2016 after serving as a producer and writer for The Jim Rome Show for nine years.

PETER SCHRAGER

NFL sideline reporter and writer for Fox Sports, who launched GMFB together with Brandt in 2016.

JAMIE ERDAHL

Joined the GMFB cast in 2022 after an eight-year stint as an NFL sideline reporter and lead SEC reporter at CBS Sports.