The phone call that made Briton an NFL trailblazer
Seydou Traore is the first graduate of the London-based NFL Academy to be drafted in the NFL. This is how he beat the odds.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"I was in a trance. I was like 'oh my God, it's happening, he's done it'."
— Zaia , Other
"pour yourself into what you're trying to accomplish"
— Jerry Rice , Celebrity
Key People
Jerry Rice is a former NFL player who encouraged Seydou Traore during his development.
Jesse Chinchar is the head coach at Clearwater Academy.
Seydou Traore is the first graduate of the London-based NFL Academy to be drafted in the NFL.
Travis Kelce is an American football star who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Zaia is Seydou Traore's mother and is of French-Algerian descent.
Batoul's mother, who shares her concerns about the impacts of the conflict.
Tags
All Coverage
Seydou Traore is the first graduate of the London-based NFL Academy to be drafted in the NFL. This is how he beat the odds.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Coventry sign teenage Fenerbahce forward Cherif
Nineteen-year-old Sidiki Cherif joins the Sky Blues on a long‑term deal after finishing last season with two goals in 12 games in Turkey's top flight.
August 19, 2026 at 12:38 PMFearless Madjo, 17, ends eight-month wait with dream Villa debut
Teenage striker Brian Madjo scores on his Aston Villa debut in Uefa Super Cup defeat by Paris St-Germain to end eight-month wait for a chance to play in competitive games.
August 12, 2026 at 11:16 PMYouthful Pocognoli the brave choice for Scotland job
The Scottish FA are all-in on Sebastien Pocognoli, 39, showing bravery and ambition - what everybody wanted, writes Tom English.
August 17, 2026 at 04:01 PMGreat Britain storm to 4x100m relay gold
Great Britain quartet Romell Glave, Zharnell Hughes, Jeremiah Azu and Louie Hinchliffe race to 4x100m relay gold at the European Athletics Championships.
August 15, 2026 at 08:51 PMWhat we learned from Wafcon 2026
BBC Sport Africa looks at some of the key takeaways from Wafcon 2026 as Cameroon crowned first-time champions despite not qualifying for the finals.
August 17, 2026 at 04:51 PMSeifert powers Super Giants to first Hundred title
Tim Seifert smashes 72 off 38 balls as Manchester Super Giants beat Trent Rockets by five-wickets in the men's Hundred final at Lord's to claim their first title.
August 16, 2026 at 08:45 PM