'Story of a boy who dreamed' | TCU offensive tackle's poetic journey to NFL Draft written in many stanzas
The three-year starter (two at Memphis, one at TCU) is projected to be drafted on Day 3.
From April 28 to April 30, hundreds of collegiate football players stand by and watch the NFL Draft, hoping to hear their name get called.
It's a dream for many, culminating years of hard work for their dreams of being a professional football player to become reality. Among the hopeful in the 2022 NFL Draft will be TCU offensive tackle Obinna Eze.
The three-year starter (two at Memphis, one at TCU) is projected to be drafted in the later rounds.
WFAA's Jonah Javad breaks down Eze's journey to the draft, where the lineman hopes his name is called.
Nigerian basketball star drops ball, picks up shoulder pads
"I had never seen a football in my life," Eze said. "I've never watched a clip. I've never seen shoulder pads or helmets ... on TV, on the Internet, anything."
In 2015, Eze was a high school basketball star, living in his home country of Nigeria.
"There's no satellite in Nigeria. Or no cable that shows football in Nigeria. It's nonexistent," Eze said.
So, how in the world is he now looking to be selected in the NFL Draft? Eze moved to Nashville, Tennessee for his final two years of high school to pursue his hoop dreams. He played at Davidson Academy, a college preparatory school.
PHOTOS: NFL Draft prospect Obinna Eze comes to America from Nigeria to pursue sports dreams
But his plans quickly changed after his foster family encouraged him to give football a try.
"I needed that in that moment," Eze said. "I needed community. Out of 50 guys, surely you can find 10, 11 to 15 guys you really rock with."
On the gridiron, Eze was a natural. With his size, standing 6 feet, 7 inches tall, he became a Division 1 prospect after only two years of playing the sport. Eze told WFAA from that moment forward, basketball was closed. Not because he couldn't play basketball, but rather because he chose football.
Eze went to the University of Memphis, where he spent four years – including one redshirted season – and then transferred to TCU for his final season of eligibility.
PHOTOS: Obinna Eze plays college ball at Memphis, TCU
But the morning he was supposed to drive to Fort Worth, Eze's car was stolen. Nearly all of his possessions ... gone.
"It hurt because I lost my car. I lost everything I own in America," Eze said. "So I came to Texas with a backpack. I didn't even have a change of clothes."
One of the precious items Eze lost journals another aspect of his life journey.
'Poetry became an outlet': Football player finds solace in writing
"I'm an old school guy," Eze said. "There's something I loved about writing with ink and paper."
This left tackle loves to write. His poetry journal was one of those precious items lost when his car was stolen. Aside from football, Eze hopes to publish a book of his poems one day.
"As I got older, poetry became an outlet," he said. "When I experience difficult things, I write a poem about it. When I came to understand what racism is, I wrote a poem about it."
Eze's penned poetry comes from the heart, and from time to time is even written about the person who captured his: his high school sweetheart, Yasmine.
"When I fell in love with my wife, I wrote a poem about her," Eze said.
(YT EMBED TALKING ABOUT POETRY)
PHOTOS: TCU OL Obinna Eze writes poetry about life, wife, family
New life chapter: From Nigeria to NFL Draft
"After everything I've been through and just the way my story's gone, and how I've come to America, I just want it to say, 'he got drafted'," Eze said.
PHOTOS: TCU OL Obinna Eze participates in drills at the NFL Combine
In the span of seven years, Eze moved from Nigeria to Tennessee to Texas. He swapped a sport he knew forever for a sport he knew nothing at all. Now, he looks to play football at the highest level.
"It's just a story of a boy who dreamed," Eze said.
An American dream, come true.