KTLA

Ex-NFL player linked to winning $2.04 billion Powerball ticket sold in Altadena

Domata Peko #94 of the Denver Broncos takes the field before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Oct. 14, 2018 in Denver. (Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)

Remember Joe Chahayed, the owner of the Altadena convenience store that sold the winning $2.04 billion Powerball ticket earlier this week?

It turns out, his son-in-law is former NFL player Domata Peko Sr., TMZ reported.


Peko, who played defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals, congratulated “Baba Chahayed,” on Twitter after the Joe’s Service Center owner was handed a $1 million check on Tuesday for selling the winning ticket.

“Alexa play A Mili by @LilTunechi 🙌🙌 blessed,” the tweet read.

Peko played for the Bengals for 11 seasons after being selected in the fourth round in the 2006 NFL draft, according to ESPN.

He also played for the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals.

As for Chahayed, he told KTLA he planned on sharing his prize with his children and 11 grandchildren.

He said he came to the U.S. from Syria in the 1980s looking for a better life, and that he and his family worked hard to open and manage their own store.

“There’s no one else that deserves it more than this man,” one of Chahayed’s sons said about his father after the jackpot was announced Tuesday.