5.13 Naija No Dey Carry Last // Timi Oke

During this walk, Timi explains what it means to be a British-Nigerian playing American football. Born in London and from Nigerian descent, Timi played global football (soccer) his entire life. After watching Super Bowl LVI between the Rams and Bengals, he became intrigued with the sport. His mom's encouragement was the final push. Timi decided to pivot away from soccer and learn American football. In 2022, Timi enrolled at the NFL Academy. Founded in 2019, the NFL Academy is “a global initiative by the NFL, which aims to use American football to create life-changing opportunities for young people all around the world.” The Academy is THE international athlete pathway to compete as an NCAA college athlete. His story has been covered by ESPN and Sky Sports, but during this episode Timi gets to share his story with his own words. Discussion points: Timi's commitment to being a STUDENT-athlete Timi's career plans alongside NFL aspirations Growth of American football in the U.K. International athlete recruiting process Future of NFL Academy talent in the NCAA Big 10 stadiums Timi is looking forward to competing in Timi is trilingual but throughout this episode he speaks his truth. Buy stock in the NFL Academy now. International football athletes are coming to the NCAA. Timi and others are leading the way. Instagram: @TimiOke Blog: NFL Academy, International Football Athlete Pathway to NCAA