New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora is set to be a free agent this NFL offseason, but in his personal life he is anything but free--and that's a good thing.
According to Yahoo.com, the 31-year-old Umenyiora is engaged to Leila Lopes, who was Miss Universe in 2011, and the couple are planning their wedding for sometime in 2014. The New York Post originally reported the news about the couple, who met during New York City's Fashion Week soon after the Giants star won his second Super Bowl ring.
Lopes is 26-years-old and originally from Angola, while Umenyiora was born in London before relocating to Nigeria and then the United States, where he starred in college and the NFL. Umenyiora proposed to Lopes during a sightseeing trip in Europe last week in Morocco.
The defensive end tweeted about breaking the single season sack record of former Giants star Michael Strahan and alluded that his Giants career is likely done, as his contract was voided and he will be a free agent in March after earning nearly $4 million last season.
"I intend on breaking Strahan's sack record this season. [But] that's impossible playing in a rotation," Umenyiora tweeted. "Yes Mike. That sack record is going down. Care for a friendly wager?"
Lopes won the crown of Miss Universe in 2011, but not without some controversy, as allegations were brought up that false documentation allowed her to participate in the original Miss Angola UK, which was for Angolan citizens living in the UK. The claims said that Lopes had never lived out of Angola during the time she competed, according to the Daily Mail.
Umenyiora was one of the most important players for the Giants during their two Super Bowl runs, but over the past couple years his starting position was taken over by players like Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck. The Giants have had to make a number of veteran roster moves, including cutting Michael Boley and Chris Canty.
The Giants went 8-8 last season and missed the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots. Umenyiora was a key part of both runs, but he had contract issues for a number of years with the team, leading to his likely departure.