nef giwaThe 20-year-old Irishman, who has never played American football, decided to play on Sunday South Carolina As an offensive lineman.
Just a few months after expressing interest in the sport, Nigerian-born Giwa said he was visiting American college campuses, meeting with coaches and collecting offers. It’s very difficult to handle, even for someone who is 6-foot-7½, weighs 295 pounds and has 37-inch long arms and great foot speed.
“I knew there was going to be a journey, but I never anticipated this,” Giwa told The Associated Press about his recruitment.
Giwa, whose full name is Oluwanifemi, chose the Gamecocks over the offer miami, North Carolina, smu, Tennessee And texas.
Giwa took two trips to South Carolina and said he spent “a lot of time” with coach Shane Beamer.
He has a time of 4.88 seconds in the 40-yard dash, while his broad jump was measured at 9 feet, 10 inches.
Giwa grew up in Cashel, a town in County Tipperary with a population of less than 5,000.
His mother is a nurse and his father is a physiotherapist. Giwa, who has three older siblings, said they were the first Nigerian family to arrive in the city and that local residents “definitely welcomed us.”
What does he tell everyone about college football and the facilities he tours?
“I tell them it’s a different world out there,” he said.
Rugby, soccer, hurling and Gaelic football are local sports.
Giwa likes that American football allows him to use his size. He sees a rugby-to-football template in this Jordan MailataA 6-foot-8 Australian who plays offensive tackle philadelphia eagles.
Name, image and likeness deals allow college athletes, even international athletes, to earn large sums of money if done correctly.
“It makes you think about possibilities and options and how you can help others. [But] It’s like making your family proud,” he said.
