Globally, one of the most popular games is football. With its intense popularity, it indeed has many fans worldwide.
One of the most popular football quotes goes like this “Ability is what you’re capable of doing.” Rob Ninkovich is one of the football athletes who has followed the above quote since his childhood.
Hardworking and driven, Rob Ninkovich is a former professional football athlete in the National Football League(NFL).
As a professional athlete, he has played for various famous teams like New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, and New England Patriots.
Rob is considered a player who has a sixth sense that tells him when to stop. With his exceptional under-the-radar abilities during crucial instances, he has managed to win the Super Bowl Champion of XLIX and LI.
Furthermore, let’s find out more about this incredible former athlete that the world has seen playing.
First, let’s look into some quick facts about the former NFL athlete.
Rob Ninkovich | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Robert Michael Ninkovich |
| Birth Date | February 1st, 1984 |
| Birth Place | Blue Island, Illinois |
| Age | 40 years old |
| Nick Name | Ninko |
| Religion | N/A |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | New Lenox (IL) Lincoln-Way Central, Joliet Junior College, Purdue University |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Mike Ninkovich |
| Mother’s Name | Debbie Ninkovich |
| Siblings | Laura Ninkovich |
| Height | 6’ 3”(1.91 m) |
| Weight | 260 lb (118 kgs) |
| Build | Athletic |
| Shoe Size | N/A |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Position | Outside Linebacker, Defensive end |
| Active Years | 2001-2019 |
| League | NFL |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Paige Popich |
| Children | Three children |
| Profession | Former Professional Football Player |
| Former Teams | New Orleans Saints
Miami Dolphins New England Patriots |
| Net Worth | $23 million |
| Career Honors & Awards | 2x Super Bowl Champion- XLIX, LI
New England Patriots All-Decade Team- 2010 USA Today All-Joe Team- 2013 Third-team NJCAA All-American-2003 Second-team All-Big Ten- 2005 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Autographed Items |
| Last Update | September, 2024 |
Rob Ninkovich | Early Life, Family, & Education
Rob Ninkovich was born to a Croatian origin family in Blue Island, Illinois, on February 1st, 1984. He is the son of Mike Ninkovich and Debbie Ninkovich. Also, he has an older sibling named Laura Ninkovich.
The Ninkovich family moved to New Lenox, Illinois, and resided there when Rob was in seventh grade. According to Rob’s mother, Debbie, Rob was very competitive in his childhood and practiced giving his best every time.
Even during high school, he was very focused and gave extra effort to get whatever he wanted.
According to the zodiac, Rob is an Aquarius. Aquariuses are mostly known for their progressive and intelligent nature. Undoubtedly, Rob acquired these traits at an early age and has progressed throughout his career.
Education
Rob attended Lincoln-Way East High School, located in Frankfort, for his freshman and sophomore years.
Meanwhile, he attended Lincoln-Way Central High School for his junior and senior years, located in New Lenox, and played defensive end, tight end, and fullback positions.
He won the All-State honors for defensive end during his senior year in high school with his exceptional skills.
For college, Rob attended Joliet Junior College, a public community college located in Joliet, Illinois, for two years and later transferred to Purdue University.
Rob Ninkovich | Career and Profession
College Career
During his time at Joliet Junior College, the college team won the NJCAA national championship, where Rob’s recorded stats were seven sacks and 36 tackles. Moreover, in his sophomore year of college, Rob won the Third-Team NJCAA All-America honors.
Furthermore, after Rob’s transfer to Purdue in 2004, he went on to play in the season, and despite being a reserve, Ninkovich, ranked second in the Big Ten Conference.
Similarly, in his senior year, Rob won the title of second-team All-Big Ten honors. Also, he scored four sacks against Indiana Hoosiers for the second season and received two of the three individual four-sack achievements in school history.
MAKE YOUR MARK on @PurdueSports. Help my fellow Boilermaker student-athletes achieve their goals and MAKE a gift on #PurdueDayOfGiving! https://t.co/Z0iqyerXEc pic.twitter.com/aBFKEAyDHt
— Rob Ninkovich (@ninko50) April 25, 2018
Professional Career
New Orleans Saints
Ninkovich paved his way to the 2006 NFL draft and was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round as the 135th pick. Rob signed a three-year contract worth $1.22 million with the Saints on July 18th, 2006.
Rob finished the 2006 preseason with three sacks and was declared the regular season’s backup defensive end to Charles Grant and Will Smith by head coach Sean Payton.
While playing against the Atlanta Falcons, Rob injured his knee’s ligament and had to undergo surgery to recover the torn ligament on his knee. Moreover, Rob was waived by the Saints as part of the final roster cuts on September 6th, 2007.
Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins claimed Rob off of waivers on September 7th, 2007, and he made his debut on September 16th, 2007.
Due to the change of the team’s head coach, Rob moved into the outside linebacker position. During the 2008 preseason, Ninkovich tied with Randy Starks in a team-high two sacks.
Soon after, the Dolphins released Rob on August 31st, 2008, and signed him to the practice squad after being released from the waivers on September 3rd, 2008.
On November 15th, 2008, Rob was promoted by the Dolphins to the active roster. However, on November 20th, 2008, he was released to make a place for linebacker Erik Walden and was re-signed to the practice squad.
Started our journey together in 2009. Proud of my brother @Edelman11 SB 49 CHAMPS!! pic.twitter.com/gzGEcYRFYP
— Rob Ninkovich (@ninko50) February 8, 2015
New England Patriots
2009 season
The New England Patriots endorsed a one-year $535,000 contract with Rob on August 2nd, 2009. He made it to the Patriots’ 53-man roster and recorded his first NFL sack during Week- 5 while playing against the Denver Broncos.
Moreover, Ninkovich accepted a contract extension through the 2011 season on November 6th, 2009.
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2010 season
During the 2010 season, Rob played as a starter at outside linebacker. Meanwhile, in the team’s Week- 4 games against the Miami Dolphins, he recorded his first career interception, and in the next match, he scored another interception and a sack.
Rob finished the season with a career-high of 62 tackles, two interceptions, and four sacks.
2011 season
During the 2011 season, Rob had the best statistical season of his career, where he recorded seventy-four tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two interceptions. He played in Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 5th, 2012,
2012 season
In the 2012 offseason, Rob moved to the defensive end while starting opposite Chandler Jones.
Together they led the team with 58 netted tackles and eight sacks. Moreover, Ninkovich forced five fumbles, including 2 in a game, while playing against the Denver Broncos with a game-ending overtime strip-sack against the Jets.
Hanging with Bru at ESPN!! Joined the club..SB XLIX Champ!! pic.twitter.com/GKuCLA3ZCj
— Rob Ninkovich (@ninko50) February 6, 2015
2013 season
During Week 3 of the 2013 season, Rob signed a three-year contract extension until 2016, which included $8.5 million with bonuses and guaranteed $15 million over its course.
2014 season
In the Patriot’s Week- 6 games against the Buffalo Bills, Rob set a single-game career-high with three sacks. He led the New England Patriots with eight sacks, his third straight year achieving eight sacks.
2016 season
In the 2016 season, Rob tore his triceps in training camp and was assumed to miss a few weeks. However, after testing positive for a forbidden substance on September 2nd, 2016, he was suspended for four games.
The Patriots again signed Ninkovich to a one-year contract extension through the 2017 season on September 5th, 2016.
Rob was part of the New England Patriots team that won Super Bowl LI on February 5th, 2017. Within the game, Ninkovich had two assist tackles while the Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons in overtime.
Meanwhile, in a postgame interview with WBZ Sports, Rob claimed the team “broke down” in the locker room at halftime, deciding afterward to play “one heck of a 30-minute half.”
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The Patriots lingered on score 2–28 in the third quarter but charged back to win the game with a score of 34-28 against the Atlanta Falcons.
This particular game was the first to go to overtime, where the New England Patriots made the most massive victory in Super Bowl history.
Rob Ninkovich | Retirement
After playing for the NFL for eleven seasons, Rob announced his retirement on July 30th, 2017. However, there were rumors that he might play again, but Ninkovich stated that he was happy with his decision and would not be coming back to the grounds.
On the other hand, just after two years of retirement, in July 2019, Ninkovich announced that he would be joining ESPN as an NFL analyst.
During the start of 2021, Rob Ninkovich covered the Cleveland Browns games gains the New York Jets alongside Brat Scott. However, his work did upset many with the wrong path when his take on Baker Mayfield went wrong.
Apparently, the Browns lost the game, and Rob started. Mayfield didn’t do a good job. As Browns’ all the top four defensemen were out off the field, Mayfield didn’t have much support.
Herewith, this very reason stood in the way. However, Rob failed to look over it.
Rob Ninkovich | Net Worth
Furthermore, looking back at Rob Ninkovich’s past contract details, he signed a three-year contract worth $1.22 million with the New Orleans Saints. Also, his base salary while playing for the Miami Dolphins was around $360,000.
Moreover, going back to 2013, Ninkovich signed a three-year contract extension of $15 million. His total career earnings, including his prorated bonus and per-game roster bonus, have earned him an estimated value of $23 million.
Besides his career earnings, Rob is also a vintage car lover and owns different cars, namely- a 1969 Buick Skylark, 1979 Ford F150, and 1965 Chevrolet Corvette.
Hence, it can be estimated that Rob Ninkovich’s net worth falls around $23 million.
Rob Ninkovich | Podcast
Ninkovich also has a weekly podcast called the “Dan and Ninko Show,” along with the co-host Dan O’Brien, CEO of Dan O’Brien Auto Group.
In the podcast, they talk about various topics that involve sports, cars, and life. They also have a youtube channel dedicated to the podcast. Podcast’s very first episode was aired on September 28th, 2020.
Rob Ninkovich | Wife and Children
Rob married his long-time girlfriend, Paige Popich, on July 29th, 2012, in New Orleans. Reportedly, they started dating after Rob met Paige in a Nightclub back in 2006.
Together they have three children. However, the names of their children are yet to be disclosed to the public.
Rob Ninkovich | Social Media Presence
Instagram- 222K Followers
Twitter- 128.5K Followers
Common Queries about Rob Ninkovich
How many rings does Rob Ninkovich have?
Rob Ninkovich played eight seasons with the New England Patriots in Foxborough and won 2 Super Bowl Championships in his entire career as a professional football athlete.
Is Rob Ninkovich a Hall of Famer?
No, Rob is not a Hall of Famer. However, he does have more sacks than several various football stars.
Who is 50 on the Patriots?
#50 was worn by Rob Ninkovich while playing for the New England Patriots. Click the link to get his jerseys.
