Seydou Traoré’s first encounter with American football came not on a field but in front of a television set, where he watched the weekly NFL analysis show hosted by Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora on British TV. That early glimpse sparked a fascination that has now taken him from the streets of South London 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 and raised in the United Kingdom, Traoré now lines up as a tight end for Mississippi State.
This week, he will proudly wear the banner of South London as his name is called, marking a milestone in a path that has been anything but conventional. Those who have spoken with him describe a calm, almost meditative focus—an unflappable demeanor that rarely gives way to the emotional outbursts that often accompany draft week. Still, he concedes that hearing his name announced will inevitably stir a deep, personal moment.
"It’s definitely going to be a special moment," Traoré 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 began on a very different playing surface.
As a child, he tended goalposts rather than catching passes, dreaming of a career in soccer like countless other British youngsters. The transition from goalkeeper to tight end is a narrative of reinvention. The parks and school fields of South London gradually gave way to the humid stadiums of Florida, the rolling hills of Arkansas, and finally the red‑clay grounds of Mississippi, each stop adding a new chapter to his collegiate football odyssey. "I picked up American football pretty late into my teenage years," the 23‑year‑old explained.
"The first time playing it was with the London Warriors, they were about ten minutes from my house. I grew up in South London, in Westmoreland, and fell in love with the sport. Before then I was playing soccer, rugby, basketball—anything I could get my hands on or that the school offered. Soccer was the game for me before football, but once I started football, I ended up playing at the NFL Academy for a year, and that was around COVID, before leaving to go to Clearwater Academy in Florida." At Clearwater, Traoré posted 26 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns in a single season, earning a three‑star prospect rating that led him to commit to Arkansas State University.
He quickly learned that playing the sport in London is a rarity; only a handful of peers could truly grasp the scale of American football’s overseas footprint. "Explaining it to my family that I’m going to travel halfway across the world to play football was a challenge," he said. "They didn’t really understand what the sport was or how it was played. It was just me telling them, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’ and they trusted me because they knew I’m a determined guy.
If I set my path on something, I’ll chase it." Traoré’s performance at Arkansas State was impressive. In his debut season he led the Sun Belt Conference in tight‑end receptions, finishing with 62 catches for 752 yards and four touchdowns across two years—a feat that earned him First‑Team All‑Sun Belt honors. After that success, he entered the transfer portal and spent a brief semester at the University of Colorado before finding a new home at Mississippi State. The move to Mississippi State proved to be a turning point, not just athletically but personally.
"Last year was the first time my family came to the States during the 2025 season," he recalled. "Seeing the scale of college football here was an eye‑opener. One of the first moments that hit me was when we played at Ohio State and there were over 100,000 people in the stadium.
That was surreal—my first real sense of ‘wow, I’m really here.’" His transatlantic journey was not without setbacks. NCAA transfer rules forced him to sit out the 2023 season after his short stint in Colorado, a disappointment that could have derailed his momentum.
Yet Traoré turned the hiatus into a lesson in perseverance. "It reinforced what I already knew about myself—that I’ll always chase an opportunity and grab it with both hands," he said. "Just because I’m not playing this season doesn’t mean there won’t be an opportunity next year.
It’s about preparation and reminding myself why I’m here. I’m not here to stay in my dorm and sulk; it makes you dig deep and remember your purpose." Traoré is a product of the inaugural class of the NFL Academy, which launched in Barnet in 2019. That program gave him a foothold in a sport still foreign to most of his hometown.
Over the past five years, living in the American South has taught him a slower, more tranquil way of life compared with the fast‑paced hustle of London. "I’m still the same person with most of the same traits, but being in the South has shown me a different lifestyle.
I’d call it countryside living—more peaceful, slower pace, more tranquility," he reflected. His calm demeanor shines through even as he approaches the biggest moment of his young career. In an NFL UK documentary, he offered advice that mirrors his own experience: "You just have to keep knocking, keep trying different doors, because something will open. When it opens, step inside and see what’s there for you." By the end of his college career, Traoré had amassed 126 receptions for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns, with half of those scores coming in his final season.
While practicing at Mississippi State, he would often pause to stare at photos of the program’s NFL alumni on the indoor facility’s wall, visualizing his own future among them. He remains deeply connected to his roots. "I always remember where I grew up, the fields next to my house where I ran routes. It’s important for people back home to feel inspired, to see that it’s possible," he says.
"If you care about something deeply, chase it. Don’t listen to the ifs, buts, and maybes.
If it’s in your heart, it’s possible." Fans can watch all three days of the 2026 NFL Draft live on Sky Sports, with Day One kicking off at 1 a.m. on Friday morning, as Traoré prepares to add his name to the growing list of international players making the leap to the NFL.