University of Nottingham Graduate Ayo Oyelola Chats American Football, Chasing Crazy Dreams and Joining the Jacksonville Jaguars

Nottingham is synonymous with sporting greats in the worlds of football (see Viv Anderson), ice skating (see Torvill and Dean), cricket (see Stuart Broad) and golf (see Lee Westwood). But one area we’re not exactly famous for is American Football. Yet thanks to Ayo Oyelola, the University of Nottingham law graduate turned NFL player, that might all be about to change. 

That's because the 23-year-old has just signed for the Jacksonville Jaguars, one of the most well-established franchises on American soil, making him one of this country’s trailblazers in a sport that is soaring in popularity on this side of the Atlantic. “My initial reaction was one of pure emotion, because it's a moment I've been dreaming of for a very long time,” reflects Oyelola on receiving the offer to join the club. “But then that quickly faded because I realised there's work to do. That initial disbelief quickly turned into gratitude and a determination to keep working.” 

This relentless work ethic is a theme throughout our conversation with the defensive back, with Oyelola believing that his drive is what will ensure he becomes “the best NFL player I can be”. “I feel I have the perseverance and the intelligence and the athleticism to become the best version of me - and I'm pretty sure that’s going to be a really good level,” he explains. 

It’s certainly difficult to argue with that, with Oyelola’s passion almost inspiring me to put down my bag of Doritos and do some crunches (they’re Flamin’ Hot Doritos, though, so it’d be a sin not to finish them). And it is this passion, he says, that anyone sitting at home wanting to become a star should strive for. “The way to make it happen is an unbelievable amount of hard work,” he says. “I think a lot of people say that they’ll put that in because they love sports, but that doesn't mean they’ll enjoy being a professional athlete, because it's a lot of pressure and it requires a lot of sacrifices.” 

Yet if you’re willing to make those sacrifices and put in that work, you shouldn’t be put off going for the big time - especially if you hail from our part of the world, with the future star describing Nottingham as “one of the best places” for American football in the country, thanks to the state-of-the-art facilities at the University of Nottingham. 

In fact, Ayelola’s mission is quite the opposite of putting people off getting into sports. By running training sessions at his old sixth form, doing talks for school kids and even chatting to LeftLion (engaging with the media is something that “doesn't come naturally” to the understated pro), he is hoping to use his platform to boost the popularity of American Football even further here in the UK, and open the door for people who “want to do the unconventional”. 

“I think inspiring others is a massive motivator for me, not just in terms of taking up football, but just encouraging people to be dreamers,” he muses. “That's definitely what gets me going. I was called crazy a couple of times for following this path, so I've got a lot of compassion for others who are called crazy for their goals, and that’s why I want to tell them what I'm doing and show them what they can achieve.” 

And if progress doesn’t happen instantly for you, keep pushing until it does - as even a player who can attract the eye of scouts in America’s top sides doesn’t always hit the ground running. After stints at both Chelsea Football Club and Dagenham & Redbridge as a teenager, Oyelola found himself moving from football (UK) to football (US) when he was at university, with the Jag admitting it “wasn’t a seamless transition” from one to the other. “I'm very impatient, especially when it comes to sports,” he laughs. “I’m used to picking things up very naturally and that didn’t happen straight away, which annoyed me - and it still does to this day, I have a lot to learn. So I had to teach myself to be patient and believe in what I was doing. If you're truly passionate about it, though, it's not really a problem.” There’s that ‘passion’ thing again, driving him at every moment. 

With the Jaguars flying across the Atlantic for a game at Wembley Stadium later this year, Oyelola will be hoping he can inspire others in-person with his presence on the field - going toe-to-toe with the Denver Broncos in front of a home crowd. Whether his breakthrough into the first team comes this October or not, however, we think his aim to become a “pretty good” footballer is all but guaranteed - and with an unbreakable love for the game and an unrelenting drive to succeed, we expect even higher levels than that. 

Tickets to see the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley are now available online 

@aypexx