Seydou Traoré’s first encounter with American football came not on a field but in front of a TV screen, where he watched the weekly NFL analysis show hosted by Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora on British television. Little did he know that years later he would become the very subject of that kind of scrutiny. Born in France and raised in the bustling neighborhoods of South London, Traoré grew up playing the beautiful game of soccer, like countless other British youngsters.

He even tended the goalposts as a goalkeeper before his athletic path took an unexpected turn. Today, he is a tight end for Mississippi State, a player who was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 180th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. His route to this moment has been anything but linear. "I didn’t pick up American football until I was a teenager," the 23‑year‑old recalls.

"The first time I ever played was with the London Warriors, a club that was only about ten minutes from my house." Growing up in the Westmoreland area of South London, he was a jack‑of‑all‑sports, dabbling in soccer, rugby, basketball and anything else his school offered. Soccer was his first love, but once he tried football, he fell in love with the sport’s physicality and strategy. During the COVID‑19 pandemic he earned a spot at the NFL Academy in the United Kingdom, spending a year honing his skills before moving across the Atlantic to attend Clearwater Academy in Florida.

At Clearwater he posted 26 receptions for 433 yards and three touchdowns in a single season, earning a three‑star recruit rating and a scholarship offer from Arkansas State University. "Playing American football in London, only a handful of people understand the journey or the scale of the sport overseas," Traoré says. He had to explain to his family why he was willing to travel half the world to chase a dream they barely understood. "They trusted me because they knew I’m a determined guy.

If I set my mind on something, I’ll chase it," he adds. At Arkansas State, Traoré quickly made his mark.

In his freshman year he led the Sun Belt Conference in receptions by a tight end, finishing with 62 catches for 752 yards and four touchdowns across two seasons. His performance earned him First‑Team All‑Sun Belt honors and attracted interest 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 college career.

The move to Mississippi proved pivotal. "Last year was the first time my family came to the United States for the 2025 season," he explains. "Seeing them in the stands made the enormity of college football in America hit home.

It’s a whole different world compared to what we have back in London." One of his most unforgettable moments came earlier, when Arkansas State faced Ohio State. "It was my first time playing in front of over 100,000 fans.

The roar of the crowd was surreal—it made me realize how big this stage really is," he recalls, describing the experience as a turning point that cemented his belief that he belonged at the highest level. The path was not without setbacks. NCAA transfer rules forced Traoré to sit out the 2023 season after leaving Colorado, a frustrating pause that could have derailed a less resilient athlete.

He had been looking forward to playing under Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and sharing the field with two‑position star Travis Hunter, now a Jacksonville Jaguar. Instead, the forced hiatus became a lesson in patience and preparation.

"It reminded me that opportunities don’t always arrive on a schedule you control," he says. "I could have stayed in my dorm, feeling sorry for myself, but I chose to keep training, to remember why I’m here.

It forced me to dig deep and stay focused on my purpose." Living in the American South for the past five years has also reshaped his outlook. "I’m still the same person, but the South feels like the countryside compared to London’s hustle. The slower pace has taught me tranquility and a different way of life," he notes.

"You have to keep knocking on doors; eventually something opens, and you have to step inside and see what’s there." By the end of his collegiate career, Traoré had amassed 126 receptions for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns, with half of those scores coming in his final season at Mississippi State. He often spent moments after practice staring at the wall of NFL alumni photos in the team’s indoor facility, visualizing his own name among them. Despite the glitz of the NFL draft, he remains grounded in his roots.

"I always remember where I grew up, the grass fields next to my house where I ran routes as a kid," he says. "I want people back home to see that it’s possible, that the same hills I trained on can lead to a professional career." His message to aspiring athletes is simple and heartfelt: "If you care about something deeply, chase it.

Don’t listen to the ifs, buts, and maybes. When you feel it in your heart, it becomes possible."