Today we’d like to introduce you to Mohamed Sanu
Hi Mohamed, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, but spent four years of my childhood in my parents’ native Sierra Leone. I returned to the United States when I was six years old and lived in Dayton, New Jersey, where I eventually starred in high school as a triple option quarterback before enrolling at Rutgers University in 2009. At Rutgers, I was a multi-sport athlete, excelling in both football and track & field.
I was drafted in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, where I spent the first four years of my professional career. I left the Bengals in free agency after the 2015 season and went on to play the next few years for the Atlanta Falcons, helping them reach Super Bowl LI. I also played for the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins.
Today, I’m establishing myself as a budding entrepreneur and dedicated philanthropist.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I didn’t have it easy growing up. Figuring things out was always part of my makeup.
My mom left her homeland of Sierra Leone in 1975, seeking a better life in New Jersey, far from the civil war that plagued the west African nation from 1991 to 2002. She returned to Sierra Leone in the mid-1990s, bringing me and my older sister, Jabbie, with her. She stayed behind four years later when I, then age 6, returned to New Jersey in the care of Jabbie and her husband. There was really no money. I was sleeping on the couch. I didn’t have a bedroom. There was no food at home. Every time my high school coach Rick Mantz would drive me home from football practice, we’d stop and he’d get me something to eat.
There were so many challenges in my life. However, it helped me develop a heightened self-reliance and self-confidence at a tender age.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m particularly excited about two things I’m currently working on.
The first is that I’m giving back to my native Sierra Leone. It’s one of the biggest responsibilities of my life. Together with my mom and Develop Africa, a non-profit charity organization working to establish meaningful and sustainable development in Africa, I’m building a multi-purpose community center to provide vocational and educational opportunities and other resources to the local community in the capital city of Freetown. Once completed, the community center will strengthen self-reliance so that individuals and families can create positive change in their own lives. Today, the average high school graduate in Sierra Leone has never had access to a computer or any sort of computer training. Having such technology and training will enrich their lives and help prepare them for our information-based and technology-driven society. In addition, our team is exploring opportunities and seeking additional partnerships to use the community center to serve the underserved in additional ways – such as providing free assistance and goods on a periodic basis.
The second is that I recently joined the ownership group of Legacy Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art sports and fitness training facility that provides a five-star sports and fitness experience for all age groups, especially kids seeking an experience like that of collegiate and pro athletes. We currently have facilities open and operating in suburban Suwanee and Lawrenceville, with a third under construction in Hoschton. The team of owners also includes former Atlanta Falcons players Sean Weatherspoon, Christian Blake, and Elijah Wilkinson; former NFL tight end and Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis; former Atlanta Braves pitchers Jonny Venters and Kris Medlen; and former MMA fighter Dustin Chovanic.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
As I noted above, there were so many challenges in my life that helped me develop a heightened self-reliance and self-confidence. Self-confidence is an important personality trait for a person to succeed in life. It makes a person good and efficient in his/her line of work. Self-reliance on the other hand teaches you to be yourself, practice making your own judgments, and hold your own values. It’s important to never underestimate the power of your own intuition. Don’t be afraid to be yourself!
Pricing:
- To learn more about the community center in Sierra Leone and donate today, please visit https://www.developafrica.org/sanu-partnership
- To learn more about Legacy Sports Complex and ignite your athletic ambitions, please check us out at https://legacysportcomplex.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://legacysportcomplex.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legacysportscomplex/ AND https://www.instagram.com/mohamedsanu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088212806997
- Twitter: https://x.com/Mo_12_Sanu
- Other: https://www.developafrica.org/sanu-partnership
