Ayobami Arokoyo Interview

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Salutations listeners and welcome back to the Player Profiles podcast. I'm your host, Jonathan Misrael, and if you're looking for a spot to hear all the great stories that the athletes of St. Xavier University have to offer, then this is the right place to be. Today's athlete is I.O.B.M.I.R.Coyle.

Hailing from Schomburg, Illinois, he is a thrower on the S.X.U. men's track and field team and a defensive lineman on the football team. Don't worry, I don't need a play clock. Let's get straight into the interview.

I.O. Thank you so much for taking the time out to come and do this interview, man. Thank you for having me. It's a blessing beer.

So I want to take you back to kind of where it all started. Did you start with football first or did you get into growing first? I actually started with track. I started track when I was a sophomore because I was trying to get into football.

So the football coach is like, oh, why don't you do track? Because it's in the spring right now. So I started track myself in the air and I just sit with it. Interesting.

So what made you track so appealing? What made you throw in and so appealing to you? So honestly, I didn't really grow up with doing sports. Like track was my first sport ever.

I didn't do any sport. I didn't live. I didn't do nothing. So track was one of my first sports.

And then when I started it, I wasn't the best, but I was all right. They put me on varsity my very first season, a track. And even though I didn't do as good, but I knew I can get better. So it just kind of stuck with me.

Like I'm a competitive person. I want to do better and everything I do. So it's just something I keep on working on until this day. So when you started to become an athlete at Schomburg, I mean, when did you realize you were going to be able to do multiple sports in a school year?

So I started football my junior year. And at first, I wasn't really feeling football. But then I started to get better and better every single day. And so then I got one more year in my senior year.

So I might as well just stick with it. And I was like track and I was being become really good at track. My junior year, I fell a little short from state, but that was my second year ever doing it. So I was like, OK, I'm good at track.

I'm a stick with track. And then football my senior year, it was a breakout year for me where I honestly didn't know I was going to go to college for sports in general. I was going to be a regular student, but then I started getting a scholarship. So I decided to just translate it to my college career.

So did those scholarships kind of catch you off guard? Oh my goodness, I'm actually really becoming this good at these sports. Yeah, it definitely caught me all guard. Like my first time I got a college to reach out to me was North Park.

Like I released my first three weeks, like highlights for my senior year. And North Park immediately called me and my mom was there when they called me too. And she was like, Oh my god, like my son is going to look that by colleges for sports. And like you could tell me my first me I would have never thought I would do sports in high school or even college.

So just getting that call was a blessing and that really kind of brought me to a whole new, another spectrum of like, Oh, I can really be a college athlete. So speaking of college, you know, obviously when you graduated from Schomburg, you had to make a decision. And that was, you know, where to go to school. And I have to ask this, this was an interesting predicament that you, you know, you found yourself in with being good at football and track.

I mean, were schools recruiting you for both track and football or was it more like one or the other? It was more like one of the other like, I would get schools that were recruiting for track. And then there would be schools that were recruiting for football. And sometimes when they recruit me for football, they always see you do track.

You know, if you come up here, you can do football. There's not no guarantee scholarship, but you know, it is what it is. And St. Xavier actually recruited me for track first.

Go out check, you know, my coach right now, my coach, he recruited me for track first and then a day after football recruited me for football. So it kind of like, same time, it stayed out for me for all these colleges. And at first, it was a bunch of D tools, but I didn't have no D one offers. It was a lot of D tools, D threes, and then like two NISAs.

And the D tools, I was originally a nursing major. So I was like, I had to, you know, kind of exclude them D tools because I was like, okay, I'm going to do nursing and these D tools don't have nursing. So I'm going to look at all these other schools. And it was between St.

Xavier, North Park, or going to USC, SIU. I was going to go to USC, SIU just being a regular student. I wasn't going to do no college athletics. I want to be here where I am right now.

And then it just seemed that, you know, St. Xavier just filled out all the checks for me and the side come here. Wow. So that's how that's what brought you here.

That that's that look, that must have been a very kind of welcoming feeling to know that the same school recruited you for two different sports. Yeah. Now it was definitely, it was definitely a kind of crazy feeling for me. So when you did come here, obviously, you know, senior year high school, the freshman year was a pretty interesting transition because, you know, why COVID and stuff like that was, you know, I mean, how do I put this?

What what's, um, how did you go through with the transition from high school to college, especially with, you know, all this uncertainty about a COVID at the time and, you know, football being a ball sport, getting pushed to the spring and stuff like that. Yeah. At first, it was kind of hard with the transition because, you know, my senior year for checking for that cut short because of COVID and football movement to the spring, I didn't do track at all. You know, football said they needed me more.

So they kept me for football. So at first, it was really hard, but I'm not going to lie to you when I moved to football, but my head was just stuck on football and I was just getting way better at football. And then track was just starting to like go away from me a little by little. I wasn't really thinking of track that much.

The only reason why I thought of track or stick with track is because of co-altic without co-altic. I would not be in track. I would strictly be a football player. I'm like, that's an honest route.

So yeah, COVID definitely did have a great impact on my love for the sport. But you know, in that of the day, I love the sport so much, so where I just can't give it up. Man, that's that's a crazy story, man. I mean, you were this close to just being a strictly a football guy and one coach, you know, reignited kind of your love for track and field.

And you know, I have to ask you, looking back at it, I mean, how grateful are you to know that, you know, you stuck with both track and field and football, especially considering, you know, some of the teammates that you have been around for four years here? Yeah, credit to co-altic again without co-altic. I just, I honestly wouldn't be at the school. He's the one that just really fought for me to get more scholarship to get more scholarship from football, get more scholarship for track.

So, you know, it's all credit to him. I wouldn't be here without him. Like he's got a blast. But it's definitely my, a lot of people ask me, well, do I like more track or football or how my teammates are?

It's kind of more of a different bond. Like track, I love my teammates. Like I can hang out and, you know, talk on my teammates for hours outside of, you know, the track, the ring or everything. I love my football team.

I live on my football teammates. So it's really, I have a love for both. I have a love for both all my teammates. I like to reach out to people like to talk to people.

I'm a very social person. So it's kind of like worked out down in two sports because I'm like, like, I'm a social person. It's easy for me to talk to multiple people at the same time. So, you know, just kind of worked out and the more the merrier.

Yeah, I mean, I can definitely relate to that. Maybe not multiple sports, but I am, you know, part of two completely different groups of, you know, people that do two completely different things. And it's like, yeah, I completely understand where you're coming from with that. With that, hey, you got this group and you got that group and you rock with both of them.

Heavy, you know, that's that's a really cool thing to, you know, do by the way. It's really freaking cool. But I want to focus a little bit on football because, you know, you've had, you know, the team has had a good four, you know, four years while you were here. You know, you guys want a lot of games.

You guys three P to in a MSF, A midwest. A champion here. Yeah. So, and you guys also want to play off game this past season too.

So which is a hump that, you know, let's go ahead and trying to get over. I know, you know, I know the National Championship is still a waste to go for the program, but you guys, you know, got to play off when, you know, that can go a long way for the future. So I'm also grateful that you guys kind of set the blueprint for future teams. But, you know, how fun was it to play football here?

I know it's kind of in the back mind because, you know, track and stuff like that. But I mean, how much fun did you have playing football here? Man, I love football. Like, it's a sport that can be real competitive and aggressive where I can, you know, I'm sorry to say this, where I could legally hit somebody in the face.

Like, I love football. That's something that I have one more year of it and, you know, it's going to be sad for it to go. When I first got here, I wasn't, you know, a top recruit. I wasn't a big name guy.

I came from Shombir. We weren't a good team at high school. We didn't have the best players coming from high school. Like the guy who originally was from Shombir and I came here, he quit the year before me.

So we didn't really have a good name. Shombir didn't have a really good name. So I was kind of more of a risk. But, you know, I'm grateful for the position I was putting in.

You know, recently I just got announced first team all conference. I was the highest ready lineman of the year. And this year was my first year ever starting. I was always, you know, back up behind two great guys, Penny Campbell and Jalil Holloway, you know, my mentors and football.

You know, I'm always grateful for them. Um, so yeah, this year, this year when we got past that first playoff when hump, it was, you know, a very big thing to me because, you know, my first time four years, we had a playoff when we usually be losing, you know, you see the scores, it don't be the best scores. And but like I said, the previous season, I always take as a lesson. Like I always look at the scores in the previous season, like, what could I done to do better?

What kind of do I do to contribute to my team? What kind of do I do to improve myself and improve the people around me? So last year when I was, I'm kind of, you know, coaches say they don't really have favorites, but they kind of already know who they want to start. So when last year when I had my meeting with my coach, and I was told that, you know, I'm very likely to be a starter.

I really took that to heart to where I needed to improve myself. I needed to get away. I needed to get stronger. You can check.

You can ask my teammates. Last season, the season before this, I was 245. I came to the season two, 75. Like that's how much I was just working and putting on working.

I was just ready to win. I was ready to be the best I can be. And I'm always ready to improve for my last year. Thanks.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it definitely paid off because you had a strong season, you know, six acts is nothing sneezed at, you know, and you know, you guys were, you were part of a defense that really kept us in games and stuff like that. Always gave us a chance to win.

I mean, what is, what does it like to be part of a well oil machine like that? Defensive unit? Well, the defense is more like we are also connected outside of the field. We all hang out with each other.

We do homework. We go out with each other. We eat with each other. We, you know, some of us sleep in the same rooms as each other.

So we just built up a strong connection to where not only we have a connection on the field, but we have a connection outside of it. So I could put my trust in the other D linemen around me, the corners, the safety, the linebackers, we all just well have great communication with each other to where I don't even need to say a word. I just need to look at him and he could and he already know what I'm trying to do or what I'm trying to say to him. So I would say that's a very strong, you know, part of our team and family.

Oh, I've always wanted to ask you about this moment. I know you've had a lot of great moments playing football, but I got to ask you about the block kick at St. Francis. It was your sophomore year over time.

You know, it's 20 to 20 St Francis got the ball first and you know, we're all thinking, all right, they're going to kick this field going, things. They're going to have a chance to win the game with just a touchdown or give a second overtime to field go. But you said no, and you got your hands on a field goal in overtime, man. I mean, what was it like to make a play like that in such a crucial part of the game?

Well, honestly, that whole game was kind of crazy to me. That was the first game I ever started or played and it was our conference championship. So I was kind of very nervous at the game. And when we came to overtime, I'm just like, I need to make a play.

I need to do something to help the team. And when they gave me us the opportunity, they gave me the opportunity to block the field goal. I just had to take it. I'm not going to lie to you.

That might have been one of the highest average of my life. I just put my hands up and just jumped up. And when I felt something hit me, I didn't really notice it was the ball. I thought it was my teammate that hit me.

And then I saw that they didn't make the field goal. Like it was just so much excitement that just, you know, I just happened out of nowhere. And you know, after that, we got blessed with the one play run by, you know, I'm a man of the ball and we won the game. And it was it's a moment now.

I will never forget. It's a moment that's going to stick with me for the rest of my life. And you know, it was a blessing. Yeah.

I mean, did you even know that you didn't even know that you blocked the field goal when you blocked it? You thought it was a teammate's hand or something? I thought it was my teammate that hit me. So when we went back and filmed, my coach told me that I blocked it.

I was like, wow, like that was me. And I look back and I did block it. And you know, I just worked out. Oh, man, that's super cool.

That I mean, I know that moment, you know, as the show, the moment it's like that. You make a play like that in a situation like that in a game like that in a moment like that. No, that that's definitely going to stick with you. I mean, I'm glad you made the play, man.

Because, you know, that I mean, who knows what would have what the moment would have been like if St. Francis had made that field goal. I mean, yeah, you guys, you guys won't play, ran it in the end on anyways. But I mean, still to know that, you know, you had an impact on a championship, you know, if some sort was just like, man, you just wanted to vision with that with that block.

And, you know, obviously you guys have had a lot of other great games and great moments. The St. Francis game again, the year after that defensive stop, you had like 90 yards behind you, you get one first down and that was it in this past season, you know, you go to overtime at St. Francis again.

And you know, kind of did that I got to ask you man, because that overtime felt early similar to your sophomore year when you went to overtime with St. Francis. Like that I I'm trying to remember exactly what happened. First place do it through a touchdown and then St.

Francis came back first, played through an interception. That was game. Yeah. I mean, what was going through your mind, you know, after that game, knowing you had just one adult in overtime at St.

Francis again. Yeah, it was just there's a kind of thing we had with St. Francis where, you know, St. Francis, our little brothers would call him our little brothers and our captain, Joey, you know, our junior year, he said something, my junior year, he was like, yeah, no matter how big little brother get little broken, be big, bro.

And so that's just something we always keep to our mind and keep to our head. So honestly, I'm not going to lie to you to pick. I'm not trying to take credits of this, but I'm just thinking, when I saw a stew through that touch, I'm like, okay, come on, defense like we are the key part of our team. We got to make a play too.

So I'm just thinking I'm like, I have to make a play. So I bully, I bull rush the center got past him and I was about to hit the quarterback right when I was about to hit the quarterback. He threw it right when I hit him. And then, you know, Antonio, or I'll just made a play, came in for us and just made a play and got a, you know, game winning pick.

So game was shut out and it was, I'm not going to lie to you that game was probably close to my sophomore year championship. Like St. Francis always gives us a tough battle. No matter what year it is, they always give us a tough battle.

Like they're great teams to play against. They got a great culture over there. But you know, in other days, Lil Bruck can ever be big bro. That's just how it is.

Yeah. I mean, you guys held that true record. I mean, not even just during your tenure, all time, you know, St. Francis only has one win against St.

Xavier. Yeah, we have what? Twenty five of them. Like some, it was some number like that, but it was, it was definitely a lopsided affair.

Yeah. Definitely lopsided. And obviously you kept that going. So applause to you guys with man.

Yeah, dude, but that's football. You still had a whole nother sport. You know, you had to deal with, you know, the next semester and that's, you know, track and field. So when did you really get settled into, you know, being a thrower here?

What, I mean, was it your first meet? Was your first practice? I mean, how did you get settled into being a thrower? Honestly, I didn't really get settled into outdoor.

And or I was doing good for my first, you know, my first season, my first indoor season ever. It was good, but shop it was never really my thing. Shop it. Even high school, I probably threw like three meets of shop it.

Like I've never really been a shopper thrower. And for me to come in and be our top shop a thrower. It kind of gave me a big hat, honestly. And so you came back to school.

I was in the best athlete. I'm, you know, I'm not a person. Like I would come to practice late. I came to, you know, the meetings later, stuff like that.

And when we got to outdoor and co-op had to talk to me, you know, I had my little punishment where I had to do, you know, for all the time, I was late. Um, I started doing discus and I was not doing good. My very first week of discus practice and stuff. Like I was just doing so bad that it was frustrating to even where one of my teammates kind of said, like, they kind of sneaked this, like, is this the discus already recruited?

Dang. That's how bad I was doing. And I, I'm like, I still take that to heart. That's something I always remember on my achievement.

Like I can always do better. Even though I was considered like the best discus throwing say next, but the marks I was throwing just was not good. And then my very first meet, you know, discus meet my coaches told me, yeah, you probably can break my record like probably meet three. And I'm like, I kept that up here in my mind.

Cause the record wasn't that high. But for him to say, like, I'll probably break it like week three of, um, outdoor, I took that up or I had to destroy that record first meet. I had to break it very first. I mean, my very first collegiate, I broke sentence in record.

You know, so yeah, after I broke that record, that's when track really started to settle in with me. Like, yeah, I can be better at this. Like, this is something I can be a dog at. This is something I could just improve.

Wow. That's a, that's a crazy story. I mean, considering that you have accomplished a lot with track and feel so far, you have, I mean, you have a whole list of honors and stuff like that. But, you know, what does it like to be around, you know, you know, the tracks, because it's an interesting dynamic.

You'd have, you know, not only the guys that you can, you know, lean on, but there's also the women that you have to lean on as well. You know, the women's throwers and stuff like that. Like, how often do you kind of work hand in hand with them when you're practicing? I'm not gonna lie to, I pay attention to all the throwers.

Every single door I pay attention to, because I feel I can learn from everybody. I can learn from their mistakes. I can learn from my mistakes. I can learn from their success.

I can learn from myself. So I don't only look at the mentor, I also look at the woman thrower, because there's people that have, I don't have the best technique on the team. I'm keeping it, you know, 100. I don't have the best technique.

I'm just, you know, probably one of the most gifted people on the team. That's just, you know, God, God giving. And I'll look at somebody and be like, that's something I can do to improve myself. I look at one of the girls like Jamie.

I'll be like, yeah, she has a good pop in her arm. That's something I can definitely improve in, or I'll look at pressure. So I'll be like, she has good feet. That's something I can probably add to my thing.

So, or I'll even look at a freshman now, like one of this guy named Thomas Tofield, he has a great left arm. I'll be like, that's something I definitely need that can help me improve in my craft right now. So it's not really mad to me if you're a male or, you know, or woman. Like, I know I can learn from everybody, no matter the age or status.

So when it comes to, you know, meets, you know, how do you guys, you know, push each other and support each other, even though, you know, throwing is a very individual, you know, individual process and a very individual sport, you know, on the surface. Honestly, our culture and seinex might be one of the best cultures in the country. Even the teams around us be noticing what we're doing. Anytime somebody go from the ring, every single person, our team go the other name.

We beat a lot of people on the track, means we bring the best energy, the best support to where even coaches be like, oh, you know, I got to act like seinex, like, we're starting to be known around all the, you know, other schools and NAIA. So at first, I was kind of nervous every time they said my name to where I tell them, like, you know, like, you know, like, you know, know, my name. But now it's, you know, it's, I love it. Like, I love hearing my name.

I love hearing my teammates support me to where I even tell, like, I be there as young and to at first I wasn't yelling, but now I'll be yelling, like, come on, let's go. Like, you got this. And yeah, so I'm just, I'm really grateful and happy my decision comes to seinex. I just probably want to be here without my team and without my coach.

Mm. I want to take you back to, um, you know, some of your meet results. I mean, there was a point in time where you had a lot of second place finishes. Um, but, you know, eventually you broke through and you won your, you know, you won your first meet.

I believe it was the, uh, windy city classic in, uh, 2022. I think that was your sophomore year, maybe. It's a more junior year. When he said classic that was an, um, it was an indoor meet.

Um, I think so. Cause it was a, you threw like a, a nearly 14, a nearly 15 meter shot. That was my, uh, junior year. So yeah, when I won that meet for the first time, I honestly didn't know that was the first meeting I ever won.

Why? And for it to be in shop, because shop was never really a thing for me. And yeah, but that was really just the beginning. 1490, whatever.

That's not, that's not a good mark to me. I just knew, like, okay, this is a great start for a season, a long season. And for me, you know, my whole sophomore season, I was finished the second place. I thought finishing second place was a good thing.

Cause in high school, I never finished top three at a meet. I never was, I was never a top dog in high school. I wasn't, uh, like, he'd be one of all the means, all that stuff. I, I've never won a middle high school.

I don't have no awards of high school. I don't have no all conference. I don't have none of that. So for my sophomore season for me to go from not having no awards in high school for me to be, you know, second at conference, I played six at nationals and became all American.

But anytime I finished top three, it just be a blessing in itself, because coming from my roots, I never was really a winner. I was just striving to be a winner. And then you became an actual winner. So when you became a winner, you know, and you won that meet, I mean, how much did that teach you, you know, about, you know, the heights that you could reach that, you know, top three, I don't have to settle for top three.

I can be at the top. Yeah. Um, honestly, that definitely opened up a new site for me. Like I'm really, I really want to meet, like, I've never won a meet before.

And, you know, that winning at me kind of translated from my whole season to where, you know, my indoor, that I think that was the only meet I want to indoor. But after that, you could see the outdoor marks, it was, I was one of every single, every single meet I was doing besides two. Yeah, dude. You did go on a tear, but I got to ask, what's the difference to you between an indoor meet and an outdoor meet?

It's just like indoor. I, my love for chocolate is starting to grow a lot more than when I first started, you can even see that my mark, I'll be trying harder. I'll be working harder in practice. I'll be doing extra reps.

So, but, you know, the thing that pays the bills and the money, you know, is this gets the, that's my thing. That's my love. That's something I know I can get far and I'm striving to get far. You know, that's not an indoor thing.

That's only outdoor thing. So that's why my love for outdoor is just a lot higher than my love for indoor. I see. I did not, I don't know why I was thinking that you could do indoor discus toss.

I don't know why I was thinking that, but, but yeah, dude. So let's talk about PRs. You know, obviously, you know, PRs are something that, you know, is very highly valued in track and field. I mean, how do you feel about your PRs now?

And, you know, how do you feel about, you know, trying to break them sometime in the future? Um, yeah, my PR for shop put is 1624. It's definitely beatable. And it's a definitely beatable mark that I could do.

At first, I thought I was a fluke, but you know, I've been practicing. And I think, I think I'm soon from the hit of a PR that's going to crush that mark. And then my discus PR that honestly came out of nowhere, the 57 really, the 57. I don't know the exact 5710.

I think that's the mark. The 17. Yeah, that was, that was just a crazy mark that that shook the NAIA world, like to where I became a big name in our division. And can I tell the story about that PR?

Tell the story, man. So honestly, I'm a person that if somebody says something to me, like, you know, in a disrespectful way, I'm going to take that to heart and I'm going to want to do a lot better. So before the meet, it was that conference. That's when I hit that PR before the meet.

There was a guy that I was competing with. He was one of the top people in the nation to I'm not going to say the name, because you know, it is what I mean. But he was one of the top people in the nation. And, you know, I was, I felt kind of short time, but my sophomore year, I beat him out in national.

I think I got that all American. He didn't. But it's all time PR is better than my PR. The whole season, I was consistently hitting 50s.

I was in a 50, 51, 50, 50, the whole season. But I knew like I wasn't really trying because the competition level that I was in, it was just, I was destroying everybody, every meet. So there was no reason for me to try. So then I asked him how his season, right?

I seen his season. He'll do like a 52, then like a 46, 47, another 52. So he wasn't very consistent person. And he didn't know that I knew that.

Like I know his marks. So he was like, tell me, he's like, yeah, I had a real good season. You know, I had 52. So like that we just talking here and I tell him my marks.

And then he was like, yeah, good luck in the second place. Oh, and in my head, I'm like, he just tried to, you know, like, like little girl, like that's what he that's what he tried to do. And I'm my head. I'm I'm telling him like, no, I'm feeling like winning.

He's like, he laughs. He's like, okay, come on, man. So, you know, we shook our hands and when my teammates was behind me, he was like, what do y'all say? I'm like, don't worry.

I got to be him. Like I have to win this meet. So when the meet started, I let I specifically let him warm up right in front of me, let him go before me. And anytime he warmed up, I want the right after now.

That's the only, you know how far I throw it. They know how far my potential is like, they see me throw very farm arts and warm ups. So, but on the other school, they didn't know how far I really throw. So they was throwing and then they see me throwing.

They was like looking at each other like, whoa, I wonder I will become like this. Like one, they knew I was a far thrower, but I wasn't throwing that far consistently. So when the meet started, I was second to last and the dude was right after me. So I started off the first time I started off like 51.

I look at coach. Yeah, I'm ready. Like he could see that had a lot of energy. And then the guy threw like a 46.

Oh, then the next start through a 50. Everybody's just looking at me like, yeah, I know basically wanted me already. And then I'm okay. Now, I'm going to start trying because before I was really given the 80% on my growth and I'm going to start trying.

I tried to throw farther. I scratched. I scratched. And then we make it final.

The dude after me threw like a 40 47 48. So my coach can tell like I was already in his head, like I already won the competition by my head. I like I want to destroy this dude. I want him to really feel feel like, you know, the anger that's in my head.

So on my fifth throw, I just looked at the ring. I went and looked at the front of the round. Look at the space. I took a deep breath.

I went to the ring. I just look at everybody. I do my little routine. I do my little routine where I, you know, do the cross on my chest and I point to God, you know, although it's a God, I didn't remember team and took a deep breath and just do it.

And I'm just looking at my, okay, that's far. I'm like, I'm like, that's a good mark. You know, I'm thinking about how like that's like 54, you know, that would be a PR, but, you know, it was all right. I don't 54 before I had to meet by scratch.

And I come out the ring and I just see everybody looking at me like, looking at me like, just crazy. I'm like, I'm like, what's everybody looking at? And then I hear people that like, bro, that's for like, that's crazy for like, even cool, always just like, like just surprise on what I just threw. And so everybody just wants to the whole side, the whole thing, one side, there was nothing saying everybody's trying to hear what the marks said.

And when he the marker, the field judge said five, seven, no joke. I didn't even hear the rest. I jumped up and my whole team came rushing. They came rushing at me and then they pick me up.

Mind, I'm two 50. I was like, I like my feet left the ground for a second. And everybody's just pushing me. And it was just like, um, it was just a crazy excitement.

Like it was just like, whoa, like they've never seen something like that. They never seen something like that. So it was just like, wow. And I'm not going to throw far in the future, but I don't think something will ever break that moment to where I've gotten so much respect and so much, you know, love from everybody.

And you know, it was a blessing. And I didn't know till after that broke the meat record. Cause the original guy who owns the meat record is a 63 meter thrower. Like he was, he was top 16 in the, in the world.

Like for me to break somebody like that record at the conference, because he didn't really try a conference. But for me to be in the names of us, somebody who was one to top any, I, this gets throwers all the time, uh, very respected name, uh, you know, world competitor. For me to be in a name with that. It's just like, you know, it's just a blessing.

Like it's just four years ago, you would have never thought I would have never thought of being in a position now. And I never thought you live in the life and have the stories I have now. So it was just a lot of rest emotions when, um, that 57 and I just know there's a lot more to come. Yeah, dude.

That sounds like something that sounds extremely hype, dude. Like the way that you described it, I, I don't know, man, that sounds like a crazy moment to have the piece. Like someone picked you up. Yeah.

Like, I have to grant like, I have to put on my phone. I didn't even know our photographer Chris was there at the meat. So after I hit that throw, I was screaming. I'm like, let's go.

And everybody is screaming with me. Cause I'm screaming. And we have a photo in the, um, in koala office where I'm screaming like this and everybody's around me screaming too. And laugh.

It's just like, you could tell the emotion that, um, and that photo. So how often do you look back at that photo and think me? That photo is my own, my wallpaper. Like I look at it every day.

It's, I have it in my room. I have that photo in my room. The, they made a graphic for me that said top discus throw of an AI, you know, and my name, and that's something that's in my room. And it'll probably be in my house next 10 years or whatever.

That's going to be a photo that's going to stay with me forever. And hopefully it's a photo that'll stay, stay next forever. Man, I mean, it's got to feel good to make an impact like that, right? That, that like, that has to feel so good.

And then, you know, to have it in, you know, as one of your best memories is just, I mean, I give you props to me. Because that definitely sounded like a moment. Did that moment where you threw 57 that teach you a little bit about how intense track and feel can be like, have you had like some type of, you know, that much passion for, you know, really trying to beat somebody in a me before? No, not really.

Even when I came here came to C. Next, I was talking to Coa. That's been me, even I doubted myself. Like I was thinking, okay, I can be like a, I thought by my senior year, I might get all American.

Like that was my goal to be a one time all American by my senior year, I'll be all American. And for me to be now, I'm at my senior year right now, technically I'm already a two time all American. It's just like, it's just crazy. It's just so many things that happened that caused I would never thought would happen to me.

And yeah, that me, I've never wanted to be somebody so bad in a track. I mean, like, I've never wanted to just compete against somebody so bad. And hopefully, I'm not going to even know. I don't really like it.

Hopefully there's a lot more people that just competitive and that would come up to me and just say something to just activate me to where even when I at meets now, I think of that moment. I think at that moment, like even though they might not say to me, but I know people are still thinking like that, like, I'm not, they might not think I'm not that guy for real. And that's that's what really give me a competitive like as against people like I always think of the moments of where someone will say, oh, this is this is already recruited or all, like, every time I compete now, every single time, because I just know I can be better. I just know people that doubt me and there's a whole world right now.

I'm just like in a frog and well, I might be a two time all American, but there's guys up there that seven time all Americans that's 15 times all American. These guys are, you know, national qualified for the USA team, you know, so I just think like this just always a way for me to improve and always a way for me to get better. But I might be the top discus stower and I want to be one of the top discus stowers in the nation. That's my goal.

And that's my goal this year. Man, I mean, I wish you the best of luck. And if I'm going to pull a little little buddy with buddy said, I'll say good luck on getting second place. You can throw 10 meters farther than you than you would if I didn't say, you know, I want you to keep that in the back of your mind, man.

Because that that was a heck of a motivator that that second place really, really brought some brought a great moment out of you. Yeah. And I respect the motivation. You didn't you didn't fall.

You didn't fall with when a spotlight hit you. You rose. You rose to it, dude. Like you you squared up to the moment and said 57 10 that that moment sounds so hype, dude.

I'm gonna have to talk to my roommate after I get through this podcast, man. Because that that I got to get his to his take on what what in the world he saw out of you that day. That's that's that's crazy. Man, that's some good.

That's some good stuff, man. But we do have to remember we are student athletes here. And obviously there's a student side to you. You are, you know, getting into nursing, right?

I'm a communication major now. Oh, you're a comm major. Yeah. So you were a nursing major at first?

Yeah. So I can tell the story behind that. Um, yeah, originally I came here for nursing because I grew up with nursing, both my parents and nurses. They both registered nurses.

But like as time came and being a student athlete here, it's just the far out of the country. I just know this is not something really for me. I'm not more of a, but I wanted to help people, but I just don't do nursing for me. And well, communications, I just know that I'm a person I like to talk to people.

I'm a person I like to work with people. And so the communication major kind of really worked out with me and worked for me to where it's also helping me pursue a career and what I want to do with medical devices. That's something I definitely want to pursue in the future. And that's something I work into, you know, even though it's a new major, kind of different from nursing, but I know something I definitely can stay to.

And it's going to go for me so far right now. So, you know, that's really just it. Did you always have like a backup plan in mind just in case nursing turned out to not be, you know, the one? Um, actually, no, I did not have a backup plan.

Like, um, I just knew like I might not have the best grades, but I had good grades. I have, you know, good grade. And when I was looking for other options of what I want to do, it was just like communication stood out for me. That's something that I knew like I can definitely do.

That's something I can, you know, that'll help me to my goal and career in life. So it's just a blessing for me to, you know, be a communication major now. Wow. Well, welcome to the field, man.

Um, I sure as heck was oblivious to it. I'm sorry about that, man, because I'm a comedy to do. I don't know how in the world I didn't know that, but, um, but yeah, dude. Um, so I mean, you already told me, you just told me what you wanted to do with that.

But, um, you know, what was the, what was the moment that you kind of knew that, you know, communications was, you know, kind of the new path to go. Like was there a class that, you know, inspired you or was it, was it seeing something outside of the world that, you know, kind of inspired you? Like what was the drive behind, you know, communication? So honestly, the communication major, the reason why I went to it is because when I was looking at this career path for the medical sales, the one of my mentors, he was a communication major too.

So that kind of influenced me to become a communication major. Because I was talking to him about it. It's just like, there's a lot of lessons that's taught in communication that these other majors would not tell like how you greet people, how you, you know, talk to people, the ways you, you know, leave impact people, because you know, there communication is kind of broad, but the lessons you learn in communication will, will help you in every single thing you do. Like as humans, you are meant to communicate, like you need to talk to people, you need to reach out to people.

Humans are just social people in the end of the day. So being communication so far, I've learned a lot. The way I speak and the way I address people is a lot different than how I used to, how I used to talk to people back then. So that's really just it.

OK, well, I wish you the best of luck, man. Because, you know, sometimes it can be a little hard for some people to kind of switch up on a, on a major that they came into the school doing, but you seem to have taken it in stride. So I applaud you on that. Thank you.

I want to talk about some hobbies, man, because you know, you're not always going to be, you know, have your nose deep in the sports and academics. What do you like to do on, you know, when, when you have free time? I'm not going to lie to you. I'm a big gamer.

I'm a big, you know, game head. Favorite name is, you know, Madden 2K. Yeah, Madden 2K, like you guys, a lot of my friends, I love playing Madden. I love, I love, I think I was supposed to come out of football too.

Like Madden is again, I can play for hours. I can play anybody. I can play for money, you know, I'm all mad. Oh, man.

But or that also like listening to music, like I have multiple speakers, multiple headphones, I have like two B headphones, I have those speakers, I have B speakers. Um, so I even have my computer that can connect to my speakers. Sometimes I just have music playing for my computer just at the background. I love listening to music.

I love Viben and just listen to music with my friends. But if I'm not doing that, I'd be really just hanging out my friends and talking to my friends and just meeting going out and meeting people. Cause, um, you know, while we're young, I feel like this is the best time to meet new people to, you know, build new connections with people. So sometimes I'll just go out, um, going and walks around the schools and, you know, it's somebody seem I just say hi, how you doing?

Or when I even that track me, I introduce myself to new people and you know, I just like to have conversation with people. So that's what I definitely like to do. Uh, okay. So you don't get the second place to talk all the time.

Yeah. Okay, it could actually be friendly, even more often than not. But yeah, I think you mean, though, um, that's, that's pretty cool, man. Um, I do want to talk to you about that gaming aspect is, uh, I mean, do you get as competitive about games as you do with a track and feel very, very, maybe more.

Oh, maybe more. Like I'm gonna type a person like if I lose, I'm going to keep playing you somewhere. I'm going to keep playing you. But I get very competitive.

I get very rid of to where sometimes I even lose control of my emotions and, you know, I have some anger issues with the game. Like as a kid, like, as a kid, you could ask my mom, I'll probably broken a lot of stuff over the game. That's how I'm better now. I'm definitely, you know, I'm definitely better now, but, you know, there's some, you know, controllers and keyboards that, you know, awesome, some of those pieces.

So, but now I don't break anything. I just, you know, get riled up and I, and if I really get really mad, I just turn it off. But yeah, I'm very competitive. Very competitive.

Oh man, that's awesome, dude. You know, I, um, I kind of like a throwback person. So me and my roommate, you know, I know my roommate is going to stay strapped with the PS five and switch. So I'm thinking, all right, instead of bringing my switch over, I'm going to pull up with my Wii, I'm going to pull up with my GameCube and I got my PS two with me.

So I got, I got my, you know, kind of 2003 kid, three piece of consoles right there. Um, and sometimes we do hop on it, you know, me and my roommate, we've, we've had some, you know, some of that competition that you was talking about. We've had some of that, you know, smoke. We've had a lot of that, uh, you know, that fire when we, you know, play video games and stuff like that, it can get really competitive.

Yeah, I played your roommate before. I'm aware. I've heard of the tall tales of the Madden games. It's fun.

I wish I would have been there that night. That would have been that would have been that must have been theater in that room. That must have been pure theater, man. Um, and I might, I might have to tell him to make sure he let me, let me know next time you pull up.

Oh, he's scared to play me. Oh, really? Yeah, he's very scared to play me. But you know, yeah, I never dealt from smoke.

I'm always ready to, you know, give out belt. Yeah, dude. I, I can tell man that it feels a lot better to gift belt than receipt. That's my definitely it sure it definitely does, especially losing to him.

That can that can grind my, but he definitely be me, you know, super smash bros, but it's all right. I'm, I'm coming back better. I'm definitely going to keep playing on top one. Yeah, I see what you mean.

I do the same thing, man. So most of the times he gets the best of me, you know, even though it feels like we're evenly matches, like, you know, I feel like my wins come off the game. Just, you know, kind of PS and him sometimes, but there are a lot of times I've earned it, but sometimes the game, sometimes the games just decide they do not like him. And he takes, he takes massive offense to that.

Like, no idea. I know. Like the game, bro, why is this game cheated on me? Bro, like, it's so funny that the things that, you know, like, do you ever like have like fun in your mind, like thinking, man, I'm pissing somebody off because I'm giving them that belt.

Oh, I was. No, all the time. Yeah, it's very fun. Now sometimes losing, even though losing be like not fun, but sometimes be fun because it just makes me want to play them again and makes me want to play the game even more.

When I first got here to St. X, I wasn't that very good at matter. I was good at matter. I thought I honestly thought I was good at matter.

When I came here, I came to Picello. There was people that, you know, brought me back to reality and really showed me up how I really get to where you can ask them now. Like, they don't want to play me because I practice. I don't know.

I like to practice. You know, I learned a lot of new stuff to where now that people that I was being before and now they don't want to play me for how much, you know, how much better I got. Dang, improvement. That improvement arc is crazy.

Yeah, I just I try to improve everything I do. Like if I if I'm not that very good at something, I would try to improve. That's that's a big part of me. I'm always willing to work.

I have these hacks, my coaches and people have a strong work. I'm always willing to work. I'm always willing to get better. So that's something I feel like that was stick with me for the rest of my life.

And effort will probably never be a question for you. Yeah, never be a question. OK, good. Well, I got one last question for you, I will before you get up out of here.

OK. So, you know, you're getting close to the end of it. You know, at the end of your college career, maybe another year and a half or two or something like that. Another year?

Another year. So when you graduate and you know, track and field college and football, it's all said and done. What do you think you want your legacy to be here? Like, what do you want to be remembered for?

When people think of IO, what do you want them to think of? Just I don't know if it sounds a little, you know, cocky as, you know, that guy. One of the best athletes to ever come here. That's my goal.

I want to do something nobody has ever done. I want to be an all American and, you know, two different sports, like. I want to be part of the whole thing. I want to be, you know, even take it down.

People are still talking to me. I'm still in that name. I'm still in that record book. So I have a lot of work to do for me to become, you know, that guy, like, you can see even see my socials, like, I want to be like chief, you know, I want that name, like.

Like chief to sit here, like this is something IO was a big part of this culture, a big part of, you know, the track culture, big part of football culture. So I just want to leave. I want to put my name part of the legacy, same acts like one of the big names here. That's that's the goal when I leave here.

And that's going to do it for another episode of the player profiles podcast. Special thanks to Iobomie Aracoyle for taking the time out of his day to come and do this interview. All right. There's just one thing left to do and I'm pretty sure you know what it is.

Can I get a round, round, round, round, second place? Huh, never heard of her. Go Cougs, baby. Thank you very much for listening to this WXAV 88.3 FM podcast.