Horned Frogs First Person: Paul Oyewale
10/16/2023 7:34:00 AM | Football
TCU defensive end did not play football until his senior year of high school
(as told to Lily Margaret Greenway)
PAUL OYEWALE
My plans are always going to be altered, so I have to learn to change with them. I'm not so set on the outcome of what I want, rather than just doing the right thing and following the process. As long as I trust in greater timing, good things are bound to happen.
At the start of my senior year of high school, I sat down with Miss (Susan) Nolen – my associate principal at Langham Creek High School in Houston – and decided I wanted to play football. I played basketball through my junior year, but I understood that basketball wasn't going to be my vehicle to success. I didn't want to graduate with any regrets, so I left the sport I loved to try something completely different… football. I ran onto the field for the first time, as a senior, backed by the support of my family and Miss Nolen.
Miss Nolen remains one of the most important people in my life. She worked hand in hand with my mom to get me where I am now. Her son was on the basketball team with me and one day, he gave me a ride home. Even since then, they have been family. She bought me every pair of basketball shoes and football cleats and introduced me to the world. I was so focused on school and sports, but she has always been my champion to try new things. When she saw how much effort I was putting into the game, she headed up my support system. She cheered me on as I received my offers, and now she gets to watch me play for TCU.
Life has not been given to me and I'm not used to handouts. I was born in Nigeria, and when I was 6, my mom, siblings and I moved here to live with my grandma and pursue a better life. My mom's story inspires me. She worked so hard in Africa to bring us to the United States, and after we moved, she balanced three jobs to provide for us. All she has done for me continuously motivates me. I show up to work every day, whether or not I want to, because I know you have to earn what you want.
Given my story and background, I remember how shocked I was to be on that first tour of TCU. I never expected to be here, and how far I have come further encourages me to keep pushing myself. At the end of fall camp last year, Steve Avila got in the middle of our huddle and passionately talked about how tired he was of losing. As a freshman, hearing that dedication and passion from him changed me… it made me hungrier. If you ask my teammates, I'm pretty goofy, but I focus when it's time to focus. Football is more than just a game to me – it is my vehicle to take my family's name to the very top. More than anything else, I am moved by wearing the letters OYEWALE on the back of my jersey. It is my goal to create a new legacy and lineage for future generations, and set a firm foundation for my family.
PAUL OYEWALE
My plans are always going to be altered, so I have to learn to change with them. I'm not so set on the outcome of what I want, rather than just doing the right thing and following the process. As long as I trust in greater timing, good things are bound to happen.
At the start of my senior year of high school, I sat down with Miss (Susan) Nolen – my associate principal at Langham Creek High School in Houston – and decided I wanted to play football. I played basketball through my junior year, but I understood that basketball wasn't going to be my vehicle to success. I didn't want to graduate with any regrets, so I left the sport I loved to try something completely different… football. I ran onto the field for the first time, as a senior, backed by the support of my family and Miss Nolen.
Miss Nolen remains one of the most important people in my life. She worked hand in hand with my mom to get me where I am now. Her son was on the basketball team with me and one day, he gave me a ride home. Even since then, they have been family. She bought me every pair of basketball shoes and football cleats and introduced me to the world. I was so focused on school and sports, but she has always been my champion to try new things. When she saw how much effort I was putting into the game, she headed up my support system. She cheered me on as I received my offers, and now she gets to watch me play for TCU.
Life has not been given to me and I'm not used to handouts. I was born in Nigeria, and when I was 6, my mom, siblings and I moved here to live with my grandma and pursue a better life. My mom's story inspires me. She worked so hard in Africa to bring us to the United States, and after we moved, she balanced three jobs to provide for us. All she has done for me continuously motivates me. I show up to work every day, whether or not I want to, because I know you have to earn what you want.
Given my story and background, I remember how shocked I was to be on that first tour of TCU. I never expected to be here, and how far I have come further encourages me to keep pushing myself. At the end of fall camp last year, Steve Avila got in the middle of our huddle and passionately talked about how tired he was of losing. As a freshman, hearing that dedication and passion from him changed me… it made me hungrier. If you ask my teammates, I'm pretty goofy, but I focus when it's time to focus. Football is more than just a game to me – it is my vehicle to take my family's name to the very top. More than anything else, I am moved by wearing the letters OYEWALE on the back of my jersey. It is my goal to create a new legacy and lineage for future generations, and set a firm foundation for my family.
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