The summer of 2017 is going to be a hectic one for Anthony Eshiemomoh as he prepares for a fast-paced recruitment season heading into his final year of high school football.
Eshiemomoh has garnered a lot of attention from post-secondary schools south of the border, giving the young athlete a chance to continue his career while attending school.
“It’s pretty cool,” Eshiemomoh said. “There has been a lot of hard work that I have been putting in, so it’s finally starting to pay off and it’s nice to see those results.
“Not a lot of us (Canadians) get the opportunity to play in the states, but I think now more of us are getting noticed.”
The 16-year-old has had four National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams, including the Harvard Crimson, University of Montana Grizzlies, Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks and University of Missouri Tigers, reach out to him in preparation of the 2017-18 recruitment season.
“It’s exciting for the future, just to see what happens,” he said. “Hopefully I have a good off-season and get an offer soon. It’s good to have all these options. I’m not one to make quick decisions.”
Eshiemomoh has already committed to attending the Crimson’s prospects camp this summer and will be making a trip down to Cambridge, Mass. to showcase his talents and see what the Ivy League School could have in store for him in his football career.
The defensive back calls himself a late bloomer, having started playing football just four years ago. He has transitioned his love of the sport into a prospective career opportunity in that short amount of time.
“Being in this position was something that I never expected. It kind of just came out of nowhere,” Eshiemomoh said. “When I first started, I played football for fun and now it’s something that can help me get into a good university.”
Initially, Eshiemomoh started out as a safety, but last season he was moved over to cornerback where he has had a strong resurgence in his career and has found what he says is a good fit for his style of play.
“(The coaches) tried me out in different spots, just because I didn’t feel like I was producing enough as a safety,” he said. “Having me at corner is where I feel the most comfortable of anywhere on the field.
In addition to being a cornerback, Eshiemomoh also returns kicks as a special teams player.
“I like to help the offence to change field position,” Eshiemomoh said. “That is something really important to me and is how I feel I can contribute to the team.”
Eshiemomoh doesn’t have a local football team to play for during the high school football season since St. Martin de Porres High School, which he attends, doesn’t have a team. He travels to Calgary to join the Bishop McNally/Lacombe Timberwolves in the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association.
In addition to the four NCAA schools that have reached out to him, Eshiemomoh has also been contacted by USPORTS teams north of the 49th parallel.
Eshiemomoh added he believes he can help schools down south notice the level of talent of Canadian football players and maybe promote more Canadian athletes playing south of the border.
“In the future, a lot more kids will have this opportunity,” Eshiemomoh said. “It’s fun being in this scenario because when I was younger I had the guys I looked up to. Knowing that you can be a role model for kids who want to pursue NCAA football is something that’s very cool.”
