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 hosted by Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora on a British channel. That early glimpse sparked a curiosity that would later turn him into the very subject of such analysis. Born in France but raised in the bustling neighborhoods of South London, Traoré has now been chosen by the Miami Dolphins with the 180th overall pick in the NFL Draft. The path that led him from the streets of Westmoreland to the swamps of Mississippi is anything but ordinary.

As a child he was a goalkeeper, leaping for soccer balls in the same parks where countless other British youngsters dreamed of professional football careers. Today, he cradles an entirely different kind of ball as a tight end, swapping the green pitches of London for the grass of Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi while carving out a winding college football résumé.

"I didn’t start playing American football until I was a teenager," the 23‑year‑old explains. "My first experience was with the London Warriors, a club that was just a ten‑minute drive from my home. Growing up in South London, I tried everything—soccer, rugby, basketball—anything the school offered.

Soccer was my first love, but once I discovered football, I spent a year at the NFL Academy during the COVID‑19 shutdown, then moved on to Clearwater Academy in Florida." At Clearwater he logged 26 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns in a single season, earning a three‑star recruit rating and a scholarship to Arkansas State University. "Playing American football in London is rare," he notes. "Only a handful of people back home understand how big the sport is overseas. Convincing my family to let me travel half the world to chase this dream was a challenge.

They didn’t really get the game, but they trusted my determination." Traoré’s breakout came at Arkansas State, where he led the Sun Belt Conference in tight‑end receptions during his freshman year, posting 62 catches for 752 yards and four touchdowns over two seasons. His performance earned 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, a move that would prove pivotal. "Last year was the first time my family visited the United States during the season," he recalls.

"Seeing them in the stands made the scale of college football hit me. When I tell people I play "university sports" it doesn’t convey how massive college athletics are in America. Their visit was an eye‑opener." One of his most vivid memories is the game at Ohio State, where he played in front of more than 100,000 fans. "That was surreal," he says.

"It was the moment I truly realized I was part of something huge." The journey was not without setbacks. NCAA transfer rules forced Traoré to sit out the 2023 season after leaving Colorado, a disappointment that could have derailed his momentum. He had been looking forward to working under Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and teaming with two‑position star Travis Hunter, now a Jacksonville Jaguar. Instead, the enforced hiatus became a period of reflection.

"It reinforced my belief that I will always chase an opportunity and grab it with both hands," he remarks. "Just because I’m not on the field this year doesn’t mean the next year won’t bring a chance.

It forced me to stay focused, to remember why I’m here, and to avoid wasting time sulking in my dorm. It made me dig deep and remember my purpose." Living in the American South for five years has also reshaped his lifestyle. "I’m still the same person, but the South feels like the countryside compared to London’s hustle. The pace is slower, more tranquil.

It’s taught me patience and a different kind of peace," he says. Traoré’s philosophy is simple: persistence opens doors. "You keep knocking, try different doors, and when one opens, step inside and see what’s there," he told NFL UK’s documentary crew. By the end of his college career, he had amassed 126 receptions for 1,402 yards and ten touchdowns, five of which came in his final season at Mississippi State.

He often spent moments after practice gazing at the wall of NFL alumni photos in the team’s indoor facility, visualizing his own name among them. He remains grounded in his origins. "I always remember my roots, where I grew up, and I want people back home to feel inspired. Those same grass fields next to my house were where I ran routes as a kid.

The environment in London reminds me of how far I’ve come. I want kids, adults—anyone—to know that anything is possible if you take the risk and chase it." His message is clear: if you care deeply about something, pursue it relentlessly.

"Ignore the ifs, buts, and maybes. If it’s in your heart, it’s achievable."