Former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker and training camp darling Olasunkanmi ‘Ola’ Adeniyi has announced his retirement from the NFL after six seasons. Adeniyi had dealt with a neck injury that caused teams to shy away from signing him, and now he is calling it a career.

The Steelers signed Adeniyi out of Toledo in 2018, where he quickly made an impression on the team, making the final 53-man roster. Adeniyi stayed with the Steelers through the 2020 season but would sign with the Tennessee Titans afterward. The Steelers brought him back in 2022 but waived him with a failed physical after discovering the neck issue.

“I will forever be grateful to the game that changed not just my life, but my family’s as well. Thank you to the Pittsburgh Steelers for taking a chance on a young Nigerian kid, and to the Tennessee Titans for allowing that kid to grow and develop into a young man. I’m truly excited for what’s next,” Adeniyi said in an Instagram post announcing his retirement.

Adeniyi finishes his NFL career with 2.5 career sacks across five NFL seasons, which is far more than most NFL get, especially undrafted free agents. During the 2018 training camp, Adeniyi’s more diminutive stature and donning the No. 92 edge rusher earned him some James Harrison comparisons. While he never lived up to that lofty height, Adeniyi earned himself a solid NFL career.

Over his NFL career, the 26-year-old became a core special teamer and a rotational pass rusher as an outside linebacker for both teams.