Seydou Traoré’s first encounter with American football came through a weekly NFL program on British television that featured former players Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora. That early glimpse sparked a fascination that has now brought him to the brink of the 2026 NFL Draft, where he will stand as a testament to the sport’s growing global footprint. Born in France but raised in the bustling neighborhoods of South London, Traoré is set to represent his hometown as he steps onto the draft stage. The 23‑year‑old tight end exudes a calm confidence; his demeanor is marked by laser‑focused composure rather than the heightened emotion that usually swirls around draft week.
Still, he admits that hearing his name called will inevitably stir a powerful feeling. "It’s definitely going to be a special moment," he told Sky Sports. "I’m not the most emotional over calls and all that stuff, but there’ll definitely be an emotional moment." His journey to this point has been anything but conventional.
As a child he guarded goals on soccer pitches, dreaming of a professional football career in the traditional British sense. The transition from catching a soccer ball to cradling an American football began in his teenage years when he joined the London Warriors, a club located just ten minutes from his home in Westmoreland. "I picked up American football pretty late into my teenage years," he recalls.
"Before that I was playing soccer, rugby, basketball—anything the school offered. Soccer was my first love, but once I tried football I was hooked." During the COVID‑19 pandemic he earned a spot at the NFL Academy in the United Kingdom, a pioneering program launched in Barnet in 2019 to nurture international talent. After a year there, he crossed the Atlantic to continue his development at Clearwater Academy in Florida. At Clearwater he recorded 26 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns in a single season, a performance that earned him a three‑star prospect rating and a scholarship to Arkansas State University.
Traoré’s early days at Arkansas State were marked by rapid adaptation. He explained how few people in London truly grasp the scale of American football overseas: "Explaining it to my family that I’m going to travel halfway across the world to play football was a challenge. They didn’t really understand the sport, but they trusted my determination." His sophomore season proved decisive.
He led the Sun Belt Conference in tight‑end receptions, tallying 62 catches for 752 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him First‑Team All‑Sun Belt honors. After two productive seasons, he entered the transfer portal and briefly joined the University of Colorado, attracted by the prospect of playing under Deion Sanders and alongside future NFL star Travis Hunter. However, NCAA transfer rules forced him to sit out the 2023 season, a setback that tested his resolve. "It reinforced everything I knew about myself," he said.
"I’m always going to chase an opportunity and grab it with both hands. Missing a season didn’t mean the chance would disappear; it just meant I had to keep preparing and stay focused on my purpose." When he finally landed at Mississippi State, the program offered a new environment that felt both foreign and familiar.
The first time his family visited the United States, they attended a game at Ohio State and were confronted with a stadium that held over 100,000 fans. "That was a surreal moment, my first real taste of ‘wow, I’m here,’" Traoré recalled. The experience underscored the magnitude of college football in America compared to anything he had known back home. Living in the American South for the past five years has also reshaped his lifestyle.
"I’m still the same person, but the South feels like the countryside—slower, more tranquil. It’s taught me patience and a different kind of peace," he reflected. This newfound calm has carried him through the final stretch of his college career, where he amassed 126 receptions for 1,402 yards and ten touchdowns, five of which came in his last season. Traoré’s story is more than a personal triumph; it’s a beacon for aspiring athletes in the UK and elsewhere.
He often pauses after practice to stare at the wall of NFL alumni photos in Mississippi State’s indoor facility, imagining his own name among them. Yet he never forgets his origins.
"I always remember my roots and where I grew up," he says. "Those same grass fields next to my house in London were where I ran my first routes.
I want kids and adults back home to see that it’s possible, that they can take a risk and chase their dream." His message is simple and powerful: if you care deeply about something, pursue it relentlessly. Ignore the doubts and the maybes; let the fire in your heart guide you.
As the 2026 NFL Draft unfolds, Traoré stands ready to add a new chapter to his extraordinary transatlantic journey, proving that talent, perseverance, and a willingness to step beyond familiar borders can turn a South London kid into an NFL prospect. Fans can follow every moment of the three‑day draft on Sky Sports, beginning with Day One at 1 a.m. on Friday morning.