Questbridge Recipient Succeeds at Brown

MaxPreps Student Section.

Oyeleye Odewunmi, 5'9" and 183 lbs, played cornerback, running back and kick returner for the 2010 Brooklyn Tech (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Football team. During his senior year, he was chosen by the New York City Football Coaches Association to be on the Brooklyn All-Borough team; which is comprised of the best 11 offensive and defensive players from Brooklyn. Football is not the only thing at which he succeeds, he also exceeds academically and in other sports. Oyeleye maintained a 95 average while playing football and running indoor and outdoor track during his last three years at Brooklyn Tech. This was impressive considering he had a 2-hour commute from home to school each day. His discipline paid off in that he was awarded the Questbridge Scholarship in his senior year, which is paying all of his expenses to attend Brown University, where he is double majoring in Economics and Human Biology.

College football is known to be extremely competitive, especially Ivy League rivalries between schools such as Harvard, Princeton and Yale. Sports at the college level are much more intense than on the high school level: from weight training to watching video to the positions that are played. Odewunmi describes the playbook as "overwhelmingly extensive." He believes that strong second half performances at Tech have helped to prepare him for Brown Football. He says, "The ability to finish games strong has proven to be an essential skill playing for Brown where, during practice and games, they expect 100% effort at all times."

It is hard to imagine how one manages to balance the academic rigor of Brown, being one of the most renowned universities in the country, while being on their football team. Thankfully, Brown's coaches support the academic responsibilities of the student, but Odewunmi also believes that Brooklyn Tech's Gateway to Medicine major has helped him prepare for these challenges; "They are both highly competitive teams housed in strong academic institutions. With that said, my Brooklyn Tech Football experience has helped me on the field and in the classroom equally."

Although there were plenty of memories from his four years at Tech, Odewunmi believes the greatest moment was the game where they clinched the Playoffs. In their final game of the season against rivals "Boys and Girls High School", who routed them 50-6 during the previous regular season, Tech got their revenge. They won 30-6, which allowed them to accomplish their goal of making it to the playoffs. Although they lost in the first round to Lincoln High School, it was a great moment for the team; "We played ruthlessly with venom in our hearts, and it was highly evident by the energy level we displayed on the field that day. To top it off, for the first time in five years Brooklyn Tech made it to the playoffs and to celebrate we poured a bucket of Gatorade on our first-year head coach, Coach McKenna."

Odewunmi hopes to incorporate sports, economics and doctoring into his life plans, by eventually becoming a sports medicine physician for a professional sports team, such as the Giants and eventually opening his own practice. To Odewunmi, Brooklyn Tech Football is like family. When asked what advice he would give current and future players, he said, "Put in the work now so you can look back on your high school career with no regrets.  Work hard on the field, in the classroom and uphold the legacy of Brooklyn Tech Football."