Meet Aderian Adelabu.
A year ago, Adelabu wasn’t even on the football radar. Now? He’s heading to a prestigious Ivy League college, ready to tackle the gridiron and pre-med.
According to 11Alive, the 6-foot-5, 305-pound offensive tackle didn’t start playing football until the summer before his senior year.
“It took some convincing my mom to let me come out, started working out and just going through the summer,” Adelabu told ABC10. “Got to the season, and I guess just the work that I put in just showed.”
Now, he’s set to join the Ivy League elite — at Yale.
Before football, Adelabu played varsity basketball — until an injury changed his path.
“It wasn’t until my sophomore year where I broke my left leg,” he said. “With breaking my leg, I had so much time to think … I just had this calling, like it’s God’s conviction of just pulling me towards football. After rehabilitating from the injury, I was able to thankfully convince my mom to let me play senior year.”
By midseason, offers began rolling in from UC Davis, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale — his very first offer. UC Davis, Columbia and Yale were his top three choices.
“I probably wouldn’t be able to get there without football, so I narrowed it down to the Ivy Leagues, and Yale was the best option for me,” said Adelabu, who carries a 4.1 GPA.
Adelabu plans to major in psychology on a pre-med track.
“I always just loved — like, it interested me how people’s brains work, why people do what they do and how they act,” Adelabu said. “I’ve always been a learner. I’m just like a student at heart.”
Watch the clip below:
