Former Edmonton Elks defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche was arrested last week in Georgia following an alleged shoplifting incident.
According to a report from TMZ, Nkemdiche was detained after an officer conducting a business area check witnessed him leave a Kroger grocery store with “many large objects, square and rectangular shapes, consistent with concealed grocery items, inside his sweatpants.”
The items were no longer in Nkemdiche’s possession when he was stopped at a nearby gas station, but a search of the surrounding parking lot uncovered frozen grocery items, candy bars, and almond milk. The store declined to press charges for the alleged theft, though he was criminally trespassed from the establishment.
In the process of resolving the incident, officers allegedly discovered that Nkemdiche was facing outstanding warrants in several states, including three in Georgia. That prompted his arrest and subsequent booking.
According to the Georgia Gazette, Nkemdiche is facing two counts of failure to appear, two counts of disorderly conduct, two counts of criminal trespass, including one for unlawful purposes, as well as charges of simple assault and terroristic threats and acts. None of the allegations have been proven in court.
The six-foot-three, 317-pound defender started Edmonton’s first four games of the season in 2024, recording seven defensive tackles and two sacks. He missed two games due to a knee injury before being released in July.
The 31-year-old was a first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the team before being waived in 2019 after failing his physical before training camp.
The native of Atlanta, Ga., signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent before stints with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Michigan Panthers of the USFL, Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League, and DC Defenders of the XFL.
Nkemdiche played 38 career NFL games, recording 59 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass knockdowns, and two forced fumbles. He earned nearly $13.9 million during his career.
This is not the first time that Nkemdiche has experienced legal trouble. In December 2015, while at the University of Mississippi, he was charged with drug possession after falling out of a fourth-floor window at a hotel in Atlanta, resulting in his suspension for the Sugar Bowl.
In June 2019, prior to his release from the Cardinals, Nkemdiche was stopped for speeding in Scottsdale, Ariz., and arrested on outstanding warrants for driving without a license and failure to appear in court. The police alleged that during a search of the vehicle, a white powdery substance was discovered in a credit card case in the centre console, but it was not tested as a narcotic and instead impounded for destruction.
In March 2025, Nkemdiche was arrested in Kennesaw, Ga., after an alleged incident at a Bowlero bowling alley. He was charged with five misdemeanours, including a less safe DUI, driving with a suspended license, driving with no insurance, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass damage, and was later released on bond.
