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 program featuring Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora on British TV. Decades later, the same show will be dissecting his own performance as he prepares to step onto the professional stage. Born in France and raised in the bustling neighborhoods of South London, the 23‑year‑old tight end was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 180th overall pick in the NFL Draft. His path to that moment has been anything but linear.
As a child he guarded the net as a soccer goalkeeper, dreaming like countless other British youngsters of a career in the beautiful game. Today, he cradles an entirely different kind of ball, lining up as a tight end and traveling from the parks of London to the stadiums of Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi. "I didn’t start playing American football until I was a teenager," Traoré recalls. "My first experience was with the London Warriors, a club that was just a ten‑minute drive from my home.
Growing up in Westmoreland, South London, I was always trying every sport I could—soccer, rugby, basketball—anything the school offered. Soccer was my first love, but once I tried football, I was hooked. I spent a year at the NFL Academy during the COVID‑19 shutdown, then moved to Clearwater Academy in Florida to continue my development." At Clearwater, Traoré posted 26 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns in a single season, earning a three‑star recruit rating before committing to Arkansas State University. He notes how rare his experience is in the UK: "Playing American football in London, only a handful of people truly understand the scale of the sport overseas.
Convincing my family to let me travel half a world away was a challenge. They didn’t really grasp what the game entailed, but they trusted my determination. If I set my mind on something, they knew I’d chase it." Traoré’s breakout came at Arkansas State, where he led the Sun Belt Conference in tight‑end receptions during his freshman year, tallying 62 catches for 752 yards and four touchdowns across two seasons. His performance earned him First‑Team All‑Sun Belt honors and attracted attention from larger programs.
After a brief stint at the University of Colorado—where he entered the transfer portal after one semester—he landed at Mississippi State, where he would spend the final chapter of his collegiate career. The move to Mississippi State proved pivotal. "Last year was the first time my family visited the United States during the season.
Seeing the scale of college football in America was an eye‑opener. I’d played at Ohio State when we faced the Buckeyes, and the stadium held over 100,000 fans. That moment was surreal—my first true taste of ‘wow, I’m really here.’" However, the transatlantic journey was not without setbacks. NCAA transfer rules forced Traoré to sit out the 2023 season after leaving Colorado, a disappointment that also meant missing the chance to play under Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and alongside two‑position star Travis Hunter, now with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Rather than deter him, the enforced hiatus reinforced his resolve. "It reminded me that opportunities don’t always arrive on schedule. Even when I wasn’t on the field, I had to stay prepared and remember why I was there.
I couldn’t just stay in my dorm and sulk. It forced me to dig deep and keep my purpose front and centre," he explains.
Living in the American South for five years has also reshaped his outlook. "I’m still the same person, but the South feels like countryside compared to London’s hustle.
The slower pace has taught me tranquility and a different way of life. You have to keep knocking on doors; eventually one opens, and you step through and see what’s inside," he says in an NFL UK documentary about his story. By the end of his college tenure, Traoré had accumulated 126 receptions for 1,402 yards and ten touchdowns, five of which came in his final season.
He often spent moments after practice staring at the wall of NFL alumni photos in Mississippi State’s indoor facility, visualising himself among those names. Never forgetting his roots, Traoré emphasizes the importance of his London upbringing. "I always remember where I came from.
The grass fields next to my house are where I ran my first routes. I want kids and adults back home to see that it’s possible. If you care deeply about something, chase it. Don’t listen to the ifs, buts, and maybes.
When it’s in your heart, it can become reality." Now, as he prepares to join the Miami Dolphins, Seydou Traoré carries with him the lessons of South London’s streets, the discipline forged in Florida’s academies, and the humility learned in the Southern United States. His story illustrates that with perseverance, a willingness to cross oceans, and an unshakable belief in oneself, a young man from the UK can indeed make his mark on the NFL stage.