About Jerry
Jerry Azumah is a native of Worcester, MA who attended the University of New Hampshire by way of a full athletic football scholarship. Azumah graduated in 1999 receiving a B.A. in Sociology, minoring in Justice Studies. During his four years at UNH, Azumah was an All-American tailback. While attending UNH, Azumah held the all-time Division 1-AA rushing record of 6,193 yards as well as numerous university records that stand until this day. He is the only rusher in Division 1-AA history to have four 1,000-yard seasons. In 1999, Azumah was presented with the Jim Urquhart Student-Athlete of the year award. He also received the Walter Payton Award as the nations top offensive player in NCAA Division 1-AA Football. For his achievements and significant contributions, the UNH athletics department inducted him into the Wildcat Athletics Council Hall of Fame in 2005.
Azumah is a generous supporter of UNH Athletics. In 2003, he became the youngest UNH alumni on record to give a gift of six figures to his alma mater. This provided funding for renovations and state of the art equipment for the university’s strength and conditioning facility. The end result was the Jerry Azumah Performance Center located in the UNH Field House in Durham, NH.
The former Chicago Bear cornerback/ kick returner was drafted in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL draft (147 overall). In his Rookie season, Azumah was awarded the “Brian Piccolo Award” by his teammates. Brian Piccolo was a running back for the Bears in 1965 playing for four seasons. In 1970, at age 26, Piccolo passed away due to cancer. In order to preserve his memory the Bears created the award, which exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Brian Piccolo.
In 2004, he was selected to his first NFL Pro Bowl representing the NFC after leading the league in kick returns. One of his most memorable experiences was in 2002 when he became the last Chicago Bear to score a touchdown in the historic Soldier Field. Azumah retired from the NFL in 2006 following a successful seven-year all pro career. Shortly after, he joined U.S. Cellular Bears Post Game Live and Chicago Tribune Live as a studio analyst/Bears expert for Comcast SportsNet. Continuing on the path of an on air analyst, Azumah has become a regular on various networks and radio shows such as Fox Chicago and ESPN 1000 analyzing the NFL.
As an entrepreneur, Azumah has teamed up with Susan Miner of Premier Relocation to create Chicago’s only luxury real estate concierge for its professional sports franchises. Established in 2010, Premier Athletes provides exclusive high-end residences and delivers world-class amenities to ensure a smooth transition to life in Chicago and nationwide.
Personally and professionally active in community affairs, Azumah served on the University of New Hampshire Foundation Board of Directors for several years since joining in 2001. The UNH Foundation was established in 1989 to build private support for the University of New Hampshire. The energetic team of dedicated professionals works in concert with the University to strengthen programs, support deserving students, provides opportunities for the talented faculty, enhance facilities, and address other areas of need. He established his ASAP Foundation (Azumah Student Assistance Program) in 2004 that provides scholarships to under privilege students that attend private secondary institutions in Massachusetts and Illinois. In 2010 the ASAP Foundation joined with Link Unlimited, which is an organization that provides educational services and mentoring to economically disadvantaged African American youth in the Chicago area.
Azumah is a member of the Board of Directors of Bears Care, which is the Chicago Bears charitable organization that supports numerous charities and assists those in need from programs supporting education, youth athletics, medical research and health awareness in the Chicagoland community. Mr. Azumah also volunteers his time motivational speaking and attending several charitable organizations.
Azumah is the first generation American son of Theophilus and Bertha Azumah, natives of Ghana West Africa, who now live in Worcester, Ma. Jerry has a sister named Bridget and he resides in Chicago, IL.