London-Born Athlete Drafted by Miami Dolphins in NFL

Seydou Traore's phone call from the Miami Dolphins turned a London teenager's impossible dream into reality.

The 23-year-old tight end was selected with the 180th overall pick in the NFL Draft, making him the first graduate of the UK-based NFL Academy to achieve this milestone. Born and raised in London with French-Algerian and Ivorian heritage, Traore started playing for the London Warriors before joining the NFL Academy's first intake in 2019.

His path to professional football took him from Loughborough to Florida, where he played high school football before earning a scholarship to Arkansas State in 2021. He later transferred to Mississippi State, where he caught 131 passes for 1,482 yards and scored 10 touchdowns across 48 college games.

Miami's general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan sees enormous potential in the 6-foot-4, 244-pound athlete. "He's kind of a raw, athletic ball of clay," Sullivan explained. "He hasn't been playing football real long, so that was what was intriguing to us."

The Ripple Effect

Traore's selection sends powerful waves across international football communities. British defensive end Efe Obada, who helped launch the NFL Academy and was the first International Player Pathway graduate to play in the NFL, announced Traore's selection on stage in Pittsburgh. "This isn't just another name on a card, this is living proof that the dream is possible," Obada said.

The same draft saw another breakthrough moment when 21-year-old Nigerian Uar Bernard was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles. Bernard has never played organized football but earned his spot through exceptional athleticism displayed at NFL training camps in Africa. At 6-foot-4 and 306 pounds with just 6% body fat, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds with a 39-inch vertical jump.

The Eagles previously took a similar chance on Jordan Mailata in 2018, a rugby league player who had never touched a football. Mailata spent two years developing before becoming one of the league's best offensive tackles and helping Philadelphia win the Super Bowl in 2025.

These success stories prove the International Player Pathway program isn't just creating opportunities but transforming lives across continents.

Young athletes in London, Lagos, and beyond now have concrete proof that NFL rosters have room for international talent willing to work hard and learn fast.