BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Sam Acho doesn’t always take a break from football, but when he does, he provides medical care to those in need in Nigeria.
Spend just one minute talking to the new Bears linebacker and you realize you’re talking to someone who is much more than a football player. His voice projects like a public address announcer. He has an MBA. He even has a knack for reciting Shakespeare.
And while most NFL players spend their summer break fishing or golfing or boating, the 26-year-old Acho takes two weeks every summer to return to Nigeria to give back to his native country.
“A little over 20 years ago, my parents started a ministry called Living Hope Christian Ministries and every summer we go back to Nigeria to rural villages in Nigeria with top medical professionals in the United States — surgeons, dentists, opthamologists, phamaracists, pediatricians, optometrists — and we go to rural villages and we pretty much give free medical care to people in need,” Acho told WGN Radio.
Acho’s parents moved to the United States before he was born, but Nigeria remains a second home for the family. Not only did his parents grow up there, but it’s also where Acho met his wife, Ngozi Ebichi, on one of his many medical mission trips there.
“A trip to Walgreens or your local pharmacy would heal half of the illnesses they have, but they don’t have that,” Acho said. “They’re not afforded that luxury, so that’s where we step in.”
Acho estimates that the free care they provided on their last trip was worth $1.35 million. Unfortunately, remaining Ebola residue prevented the family from going this summer, but they intend to make up for it with a much bigger plan.
“We’ve been going every year for the last 20 years and now we’re actually going through the process of trying to build a hospital in Nigeria,” he said. “Instead of us going back every year, we want something more permanent.”
The family is $250,000 into a $2 million goal and you can help at LivingHopeMinistries.us.
“My father started it,” Acho said. “He has this vision of what he wants it to be and I’ve taken on the role of carrying that torch.”
Quick Hits
– Acho is one of many outside linebackers in a crowded field trying to make the Bears roster. I explained in Sunday’s “10 Bears Things” why it’s difficult to sort out the linebackers right now.
– Adam Jahns has a really good story in today’s Sun-Times on how Shea McClellin is handling the defensive calls in practice. It might be surprising, but it’s been pretty evident since OTAs that Vic Fangio believes McClellin can be a good inside linebacker. My take? I’m extremely skeptical, and these preseason games are going to be very important for McClellin. I expect him to get a lot of playing time as the coaching staff tests to see if he can really handle the job. If not, Mason Foster has plenty of experience making calls at the position.
– Connor McKnight, Mark Carman and I had a chance to sit down with Bears linebacker Christian Jones over the weekend on “The Beat”. Check out the full interview here:
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Monday’s Schedule
– The Bears will practice at 9:35 a.m. Monday morning, completing a string of five practices in five days to start camp. Tuesday is a CBA mandated off day.
On The Air
7:20 p.m. – “The Download” with Justin Kaufmann on WGN Radio
Adam Hoge covers the Chicago Bears for WGN Radio and WGNRadio.com. He also co-hosts The Beat, weekends on 720 WGN. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.
