TACKLING POSSIBILITIES EMIL EKIYOR WORKS TO FOSTER INNOVATION AND INCLUSION Writer / Kara Kavensky Photographer / Amy Payne
A former NFL player is driving change and facilitating upward mobility for people of color. At the age of 15, Emil Ekiyor left Nigeria and moved in with friends of his parents across the ocean in Daytona Beach, Florida. Ekiyor had never been away from home before. “I was excited about my new adventure but was leaving my family behind,” recalls Ekiyor, who is one of nine children. Sports minimized Ekiyor’s homesickness and provided structure to his life outside of school. He excelled in and loved soccer, but switched to football during his junior year of high school due to his sheer size. Playing sports helped Ekiyor gain confidence and widen his social circle. He worked hard on and off the football
field, and was offered a full-ride scholarship to play football at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Three years after leaving his family, he attended college on a scholarship. During this time, something weighed on Ekiyor. He was not a legal resident of the United States. He had entered on a six-month visa, after which he would no longer be in the country legally. He held this secret close because if he was found out, he faced possible deportation and would not be allowed to return. “Having a college experience in the U.S. is like no other - it is unmatched,” Ekiyor says. “What you learn about yourself is so important.” Ekiyor was team captain for two years at UCF until he was recruited into the NFL draft and picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were then coached by Tony Dungy, Lovie Smith and Herman Edwards. Ekiyor’s dream was to be an entrepreneur,
21 / BROAD RIPPLE MAGAZINE / JANUARY 2021 / atBRip.com
