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 program hosted by Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora on a British channel. That early glimpse sparked a curiosity that would later transform him from a casual viewer into the very subject of the show’s analysis.
Born in France and brought up in the bustling neighborhoods of South London, Traoré now finds himself on the opposite side of the Atlantic, selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 180th overall pick in the NFL Draft. The journey that led a young man who once tended goalposts as a soccer goalkeeper to become a tight end in the world’s premier football league is anything but ordinary. "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 Westmoreland, South London, I was always trying every sport I could find—soccer, rugby, basketball—anything the school offered. Soccer was my first love, but once I stepped onto the gridiron, everything changed.
I spent a year at the NFL Academy during the COVID‑19 pandemic, and then moved to Clearwater Academy in Florida to further develop my skills." At Clearwater, Traoré recorded 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. He recalls the cultural shock of explaining his ambitions to his family back home. "When I told them I was going to cross the ocean to play football, they didn’t really understand the sport. They trusted me because they knew I was determined.
They believed that if I set my mind on something, I would pursue it relentlessly." Traoré’s breakout came in his freshman year at Arkansas State, where he led the Sun Belt Conference in tight‑end receptions. He finished the season with 62 catches for 752 yards and four touchdowns, earning First‑Team All‑Sun Belt honors.
After two productive seasons, he transferred to the University of Colorado, only to re‑enter the transfer portal after one semester and land at Mississippi State. The move to Mississippi State proved pivotal. "Last year my family visited the United States for the first time during the 2025 season.
Seeing the scale of college football in person was an eye‑opener. The stadiums, the crowds—it all hit home. My first taste of that magnitude was at Arkansas State when we played Ohio State. The stadium held over 100,000 fans; it was surreal, a moment where I truly felt I belonged." However, the transition was not without setbacks.
NCAA transfer rules forced Traoré to sit out the 2023 season after his brief stint in Colorado, delaying his on‑field debut for Mississippi State. He had hoped to join forces with Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and future NFL star Travis Hunter, but circumstances dictated otherwise. "Being forced to sit out reinforced my belief that opportunities don’t always arrive on schedule," he says.
"It reminded me that preparation and perseverance are essential. I couldn’t waste time sulking in my dorm; I had to stay focused on my purpose." Living in the American South for the past five years has also reshaped his perspective.
"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.
It’s a reminder that you have to keep knocking on doors; eventually one opens, and you step through it." By the end of his college career, Traoré 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 staring at the wall of NFL alumni photos in the team’s indoor facility, visualizing his own name among them. Despite the glamour of the NFL, Traoré remains grounded in his roots.
"I never forget where I started. The grass fields next to my house in London are where I ran my first routes. I want people back home to see that it’s possible, that they can take a risk and chase a dream.
My message is simple: if you care deeply about something, go after it. Don’t listen to the ifs, buts, or maybes. When your heart tells you it’s possible, it is." Traoré’s story is a testament to the power of determination, cultural adaptation, and the willingness to seize every chance—no matter how far it takes you from the streets of South London to the bright lights of the NFL Draft.