OT Favour Edwin Talks Football Journey Leading to Gators Offer
When 6-foot-8, now-290-pound Favour Edwin moved from Nigeria to the United States, his original plan was to play basketball.
"The thing is, every gym we went into the referee's like, 'Hey son, do you play football?' The other dudes, 'Hey man, do you?' " Edwin described in an interview with FanNation's Brooks Austin. "So everybody, they've been putting it in my head right from when I stepped into the States. Like, 'Man, you should try this.' "
He did, and Power 5 programs took notice rather immediately.
Edwin will begin his varsity football career as a senior this year after roughly six months of development and 60-to-70 pounds of weight added — "I eat a lot of eggs," he said — on the junior varsity squad of McDonough (Ga.) Eagles Landing Christian Academy.
Despite his lack of playing tape, at least five schools have already taken a liking to his projection as a big-bodied offensive tackle at the next level.
Changing sports and schools, paired with a college recruitment that is just beginning to take off, has introduced Edwin to a plethora of people in the Western Hemisphere that have helped shape what he considers a new take on life.
"It's been a great journey," Edwin expressed. "Most especially it's the people you meet along the journey. All the way from Greenforest [Academy] down to Eagles Landing. I've met a lot of great people, you know, so like, it kind of shapes my tone on what life is all about. Because most people I met along the way have been selfless.
"When I came to America, I was, 'Oh, I gotta make it. You know, I got to do this.' But like along the line, when you start seeing the selfless sacrifices of people, it starts changing your mindset to, 'Okay, it's not about me.' "
Edwin's admiration for the people he's met in the United States extends to Gainesville, Fla.
Edwin visited the Florida Gators, one of three schools to have presented him with a scholarship offer thus far, on April 1. It was then that Edwin began to bond with UF head coach Billy Napier, a "chill," "really good dude" who set a strong example of the attitude within the program, from the prospect's perspective.
"It's a great program with great people," Edwin said. "I watched the practice and the way they go at it, you could tell, like, I think they're gonna have something special coming up in a few years' time. So it's a good place, Florida is amazing."
Offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Rob Sale and assistant defensive line coach Kali James are among the staffers that have also kept in touch with the towering tackle.
"They've been checking up on me a lot," Edwin shared.
In-state Georgia Tech and Georgia have hosted Edwin, too, on March 28 and May 2 respectively. The Yellow Jackets have offered, and while the Bulldogs have yet to, the UGA coaching staff made Edwin feel like a priority during his time in Athens as the only recruit on campus that day.
Edwin also traveled to Florida State on March 11. His latest offer came from Appalachian State on May 9.
Plenty more will come, each offer and visit helping Edwin accomplish the goal he set for himself upon arriving in the United States two years ago, aspiring to play a college sport.
It isn't the game he first envisioned, but Edwin appears to have found his fit on the gridiron.
"'Okay, might as well just do this. Who knows, God's plan,' " Edwin told himself upon arrival at Eagles Landing Christian Academy. "And hey, it's been great so far."
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