The National Football League is investigating Dom “Big Dom” DiSandro, the Philadelphia Eagles' chief security officer, following allegations made by former player Emmanuel Acho. Acho, a co-host of the podcast “Speakeasy,” claimed that a former team with which DiSandro was associated may have influenced a police investigation into a car accident. According to longtime Philadelphia reporter Derrick Gunn, Acho stated that a team official offered to send a preferred police officer to the scene of an accident he was involved in, with the intention of assigning blame to the other driver.
Acho detailed the alleged incident on his podcast last month, in the wake of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan's car accident. The former linebacker recounted how a team security person told him, “When the cop shows up, send the cop away. I’m going to send you another cop and that other cop is going to say it wasn’t your fault, it was their fault.” Acho stated he was surprised by this revelation and proceeded to hit the other vehicle.
When the initial officer arrived, Acho said he indicated everything was fine and that another officer would be arriving. This second officer subsequently determined the other driver was at fault. Acho suggested that such an action would be against the law and indicated a conspiracy between the police officer and the team to manipulate the situation. He did not express remorse, however, alleging that the other party, upon learning of his identity, used his involvement to their advantage, leading to demands for compensation. Acho stated that the team's head of security offered tickets and signed jerseys, which were initially declined.
Acho played for the Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and New York Giants during his NFL career. He was drafted by the Browns in 2012 and traded to the Eagles in 2013, later spending time on the Giants’ practice squad before returning to Philadelphia. He played in six games in 2013 and 14 games in 2014 for the Eagles.
Neither LeSean McCoy, a former Eagles teammate of Acho's, nor Asante Samuel, a former Eagles cornerback who did not play with Acho, reacted in a way that suggested prior knowledge of the alleged incident. Samuel, however, publicly commented on Acho's allegations, tweeting, “Like I said before, watch who you do business with. We have an investigation going on because fool is dying for attention and a gossip queen smfh.”
DiSandro has been with the Eagles since 1999. His official title includes senior advisor to the general manager, chief security officer, and head of game day coaching operations. His role, according to the team's biography, involves overseeing all safety and security matters for players, coaches, and executives, directing security at the training complex, managing travel logistics, and providing education on the NFL’s personal conduct policy. DiSandro is known as one of the NFL's most high-profile security staffers and previously received a sideline ban in 2023 after an altercation with a player.