By Martyn Herman
LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) - If Seydou Traore hears his name called in this week's NFL Draft, it will cap an unlikely journey from the soccer pitches of south London to the sport's biggest stage.
The 23-year-old once dreamed of becoming a Premier League goalkeeper before changing path as a teenager. Now he is one of several hopefuls on the NFL's International Player Pathway waiting to discover whether they have earned a spot on the roster of one of the 32 franchises.
Waiting to hear
if you are one of the 257 draftees can be an anxious time, but Traore said he has done all he can do.
"I'm excited, but I'm kind of just relaxed and looking forward to it, anticipating hearing my name," Traore told Reuters ahead of the three-day draft in Pittsburgh.
"Maybe some nerves might creep in, but as of right now, I'm chilling. There's nothing more I can do. The tape is out there, the numbers are out there. Now it's just what an organisation thinks of me."
Like many young players in London, soccer was Traore's first love and he spent time in Fulham's development scheme before playing for semi-pro club Carshalton. But after discovering the NFL on TV, he tried out for the London Warriors, where his athleticism and catching ability quickly stood out.
"The hand-eye coordination from shot stopping, ball-tracking skills, catching, the ability to dive out and stretch five yards, they all translate to American football," the 6ft 5in, 235 lb Traore said.
His breakthrough came in 2019 when he was selected in the first intake of the London-based NFL Academy, designed to fast-track international talent into the American college system.
Crossing the pond, he attended the Clearwater Academy International before committing to Arkansas State University in 2021 where in his second season he had 50 receptions for 655 yards and four touchdowns. Later at Mississippi State University, he rounded out his college career with 10 touchdowns.
After impressing at a 10-week camp in Fort Myers, Florida as part of a cohort of NFL International Player Pathway hopefuls, Traore says he is ready for a shot at the big time.
"For me this is a passion, it's a love, it's such an excitement for something. The only thing that could produce that feeling again is me playing football," he said.
Traore will attend the draft alongside fellow IPP hopefuls, including Nigerian defensive lineman Uar Bernard, former Kenya rugby player Joshua Weru and Japanese kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, who learned the art of striking a ball on YouTube.
"We've definitely developed strong friendships and strong relationships. So yeah, like we're all trying to see each other succeed," Traore said.
He is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Efe Obada, a former London Warrior who went on to play for the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders. And while only a handful of players from Britain have made a career in the NFL, he believes its path should be trodden more.
"The amount of athletes I know back home who could excel in American Football is ridiculous," he says. "But they're just not as aware of the sport or where they play. I feel the NFL Academy does a great job bringing kids in while they're young."
Having come so far, Traore is ready for whatever comes next. "Wherever it takes me," he said, "I'm more than happy."
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
