Two years ago, Patrick Ehui was living in his native country of Ivory Coast, located in West Africa. He spoke no English. He had never played American football. On Saturday, he was at The Perch, a recreational field at Kennesaw State, participating in a tryout hoping to make an Owls football team in its infancy and scheduled to kick off its inaugural season in 2015.
Ehui, a 23-year-old sophomore, was one of 95 KSU students trying out for the team, hoping to realize a far-fetched, Rudy-like dream of playing college football. The tryout provided the unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of the historic day at the school, which marked the first on-field activities for the program led by coach Brian Bohannon.
“I never imagined having the chance to play football,” said Ehui, who at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds tried out at receiver. “I was able to play all the sports back home — soccer, basketball, pingpong — but I never played football until I got here (at KSU). Everything started having fun, and then I got serious.
“Now I’m at the tryout.”
Until 2012, Ehui spent all of his life in Ivory Coast. He likened the way of life there to that in America, as video games, 4G networks, sports, movies and restaurants are enjoyed just the same. He decided after high school to follow his sister to the United States, where she was living in Georgia, to receive a college education from an American university.
With a student visa in hand, Ehui left his home country for metro Atlanta. After learning English in six months, he was accepted into KSU. To pass his free time when not studying, he decided to join his new friends on the football field, playing both flag-football games for fun and then organized intramural football.
Ehui played basketball and soccer for his high school team and also played rugby recreationally. But American football was new to him. He quickly grew fond of his new hobby and, with his speed, height and overall athletic ability, became effective on the football field.
“He came out to play flag football with us and really helped,” said Darice Parks, a junior at KSU who also participated in Saturday’s tryout, as a defensive lineman. “He has speed and good hands, and he’s a fast learner. He pretty much caught everything. He has great potential and talent, and he’s a very hard worker.”
Bohannon was happy to see students such as Ehui show up to the tryout. The program’s first coach approached the tryout with an open mind, knowing that it was open to any student who filled out the required paperwork.
“We knew we’d have a wide range of backgrounds here,” said Bohannon, who comes from Georgia Tech, where he worked under Paul Johnson as quarterbacks/B-backs coach. “Some may not have even played high school football, some have played. We have transfers — all kinds of stories. What’s great is these kids get one shot to be a part of something special.
“You can tell by the way they handled themselves today that this was serious business for them.”
At the tryout, Ehui and the rest of the participants first had their height and weight measured, then moved to on-the-field activities that included the broad jump, 40-yard dash and agility drills before splitting into groups based on the position they were trying out for.
Bohannon said participants will learn Monday in an email whether they’ll get an invitation to continue their efforts to make the team.
“Whether it’s 10 or 15 or eight (students), I have no idea. We’re going to sit down as a staff and talk. (Those who make the cut) will be invited back in the fall.”
Those invited back will first meet with Bohannon, at which point he will discuss his expectations of them in terms of academic performance and off-the-field conduct. As long those expectations are met, the students will join the team in the fall, which has grown to 30 scholarship athletes. Once the team is practicing, at that point the coaching staff will determine who is a fit.
So for Ehui and the rest of those who tried out Saturday, they’ll learn Monday whether they’ll get the opportunity to continue pursuing their dreams of a college football career.
If Ehui doesn’t make the team, he’s OK with that.
“I did my best,” he said. “It was great to be a part of history, and it was a good experience. If it doesn’t work out, I’m still getting a good education.”
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