From United Kingdom to Jax State: Oyebadejo doesn't play like a rookie footballer
JACKSONVILLE — If somebody asked you what a football player looks like, Jacksonville State's Emmanuel Oyebadejo is probably who you would picture.
He stands 6-foot-7, weighs a svelte 295 pounds and looks like he was chiseled out of granite. He plays like a football player, too, having started all five of Jax State's games on the defensive line.
One of the Gamecocks’ most reliable players as they prepare to play at Conference USA foe Sam Houston on Thursday, he ranks fifth on the team with 18 tackles, second with 1.5 quarterback sacks and first with four quarterback hurries.
It's not hard to imagine quarterbacks hurrying away when they see Oyebadejo loose in the backfield and charging after them.
Now comes the amazing part of his story: He grew up in Manchester, England, with much more interest in the Manchester United soccer team than any NFL squad, and didn't play our brand of football until he was 19.
"It's absolutely the first time in 35 years coaching that I've ever had a player like Emmanuel," said Jacksonville State head coach Charles Kelly, who began his coaching career in 1990 — 14 years before Oyebadjo was born April 1, 2004.
"You know, he hasn't played a lot of football. I mean, this is the first real football he's played."
Oyebadjo said he played soccer until he was 11, but "as you can imagine, I got way too big for it too quickly," he added with a smile.
He transitioned to basketball, but gave that up when he was 18 and began medical school at the University of Exeter in Southwest England.
It happened like you might think. The school had an American football team, and Oyebadjo went to a game to see a friend play. The school's coach saw him on the sideline and asked him to come out for the team.
Oyebadjo’s journey to Jacksonville State started from there — kind of like the future Hollywood starlet getting noticed by a talent scout while drinking a milkshake at a drug store counter.
"So, that next Wednesday I was there and playing," Oyebadjo said. "Initially, I was just looking for something to keep myself active and busy in my spare time when I wasn't studying for tests and exams. But then over time, I grew to fall in love with the sport."
This happened in the fall of 2023, and checking out his account on the social media platform X, you can see his evolution into someone thinking about playing the game beyond a school in England.
On Nov. 6, 2023, he posted, "Baby steps …”
On Dec. 7, 2023: "I'm still 19” and then "First time in my life I'm really trying to step outside my comfort zone.
On Dec. 15, 2023, he expressed the desire to come to the United States in earnest: "All I need is an opportunity."
His coach at school arranged a video full of practice and game footage and sent it out to anyone who would accept it. Some curious college coaches contacted Oyebadjo, including at Florida State.
The most concrete opportunity came from Rich Rodriguez, who was Jacksonville State's head coach at the time, and William Green, the Gamecocks’ defensive line coach.
Oyebadjo said his parents weren't keen on him leaving medical school to chase the dream of playing pro football.
"But when they invited me out on my (official visit) and they flew my parents out across the Atlantic Ocean, paid for then hotel and things like that, that's when they started to come up with, 'Maybe he's doing something here.'"
He arrived in time for the spring semester in 2024 and already had a goal of pro football, posting on X: "Imma be a 1st round pick one day, just watch me."
He was set to play last year, but got hurt in preseason practice. He wound up having to miss the season.
Kelly has raved about Oyebadjo almost immediately after he took the Gamecocks’ head coaching job in December 2024. But few saw what he meant until Oyebadjo started the 2025 season opener, which is his first appearance in a college football game this season.
It's been a learning process. He has described it as "growing pains."
"Yeah, you know coaches always say the best experience you can get is game experience, and I'm really finding it out playing now," he said. "I came a long way over the winter workout, spring ball, fall camp, but I still don't think I made the progress I did until playing real games and stuff like that."
Kelly said "you couldn't find a better guy to coach” than Oyebadjo. Kelly describes him as a "very unselfish player” who understands the team concept.
"I think he's just going to get better and better," Kelly said.
He's looking forward to this week's trip to Sam Houston. While his parents are back in England, he has aunts and uncles in Texas.
He's especially eager to taste the food they'll bring. He's is of Nigerian heritage, and it isn't easy to find Nigerian food in Alabama, although he said he really enjoys McDonald's and Whataburger.
"The last time I got to see (my parents) was in December — that little period that we had a break between the bowl game and when we got back for winter workouts," he said. "My parents, I love them. Obviously, they played a big part in my life raising me. I like to think they did a good job.
"I don't get to see them often, but it's cool. I call them all the time. And you know, it's great in Jacksonville. So I can't really say I'm homesick, because I love it here."
