Who is Benedict Umunakwe? Football player, 22, missing for 4 days as family and Lamar Jackson ask for help
Benedict “Chiz” Umunakwe went missing four days ago. Concerns have grown as Baltimore County police search for the Towson University football player who may be suffering emotional distress.
Umunakwe was last seen on Monday, March 15 around 7 a.m. The 22-year-old was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt with the number 21 in gold on the back. He plays as a linebacker on the university's football team. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson joined the cause for the search of the missing football player, by sharing a post about him on Wednesday with a prayer hands emoji.
Who is Benedict Umunakwe?
Benedict Umunakwe is a Bronx, New York native. According to his Towson football bio, as quoted by 247Sports, Umunakwe was a reserve linebacker and special teams player during the 2019 season. He recorded a total of 37 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss, including multiple stops in a course of 10 different games. The Towson tigers website states that he began the year with three tackles and a blocked field goal in road victory over The Citadel, following with five tackles vs. N.C. Central. In 2018, he was one of two true freshmen to play all 12 games for Towson, primarily playing on special teams.
While at Trinity Pawling High School, Umunakwe played post graduate season for head coach Nick LaFontaine, where he was selected as the offensive MVP. He earned All-League NEPSAC and Erickson League Team honors. He also played for head coach Augustine Tieri at Kennedy High School and rushed for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games as a senior. He majors in communication studies, according to the website. He was one of forty Towson University football student-athletes who were named to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Football Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll in 2019.
Umunakwe is 6’4″ tall, and weighs 240 pounds, according to Nottingham MD. Police said he may be driving a dark blue Hyundai Sonata with a New York City tag, numbered JJZ5811. They added that he may be suffering emotional distress. “Benedict may be suffering emotional distress, so I just ask if any of you are his friends or know his whereabouts, just give us a call,” Baltimore County Police Department's Danielle Moore said to CBS Baltimore. “If you know where he’s headed to, please call and give us a heads up so we can check on him,” Moore added. “We want to bring Benedict home.”
The Towson University released a statement that said: "We continue to cooperate with the Baltimore County Police Department in an effort to help bring our student home safely. We encourage anyone with information to contact county police at 410-307-2020."
