While many of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) players have entered the program with little to no knowledge of American football, Seydou Traore is as league-ready as a prospect from London could be.
'Ziko', the tight end best known for his time at Mississippi State Bulldogs, was part of the NFL Academy in London's initial intake following its May 2019 launch. While the academy is designed to cater to international talents in their late teens, the IPP Program generally involves a fast turnaround for athletes in their twenties looking to make an NFL roster within a year.
Traore arrived into the IPP Program as a ready-made prospect with significant NCAA Division I experience and time under his belt with one of the coaches responsible for Travis Kelce's rise to Kansas City Chiefs fame.
Traore told ESPN: "When I started playing tight end, the coach that actually recruited me was Butch Jones at Arkansas State [in 2021] and he actually coached Travis Kelce [at the University of Cincinnati].
"That instantly clicked and I was watching a bunch of Travis Kelce tapes [as well as] George Kittle. Those two were the first two [tight ends] that I looked to."
Traore's heritage is tied to two African countries who have a particular love for soccer, and he initially played as a goalkeeper.
"My dad is from Côte d'Ivoire and my mom is French-Algerian. I was born and raised in London. I actually used to play [association] football or soccer or whatever you call it... I actually played rugby too... It was in my late teenage years that I picked up [American] football," he said.
Traore credits his time playing football, rugby and even basketball for helping him develop the movement skills needed for the sport that has now put him on the brink of stardom.
He added: "It was actually from a lifeguard working at my local pool that suggested I go ahead and play for my local team and that was London Warriors in South London. It ended up being like 10 minutes away from my house and I kind of fell in love with the sport from there.
"The lifeguard that suggested it actually played wide receiver for that team and I guess he saw my athletic frame and me playing around with my friends. He, I guess, saw my movement along with my frame and was like: 'This kid should be give football a go.'
"I feel like it clicked very early on [that a career in the sport was possible]. If I didn't think I was capable of doing that, then I probably would have been looking at a different career path very early on."
Like many who trade other sports for American football in their late teens or early 20s, it took some time for Traore to find the position that suited him best. Initially, he was a wide receiver, but it was at tight end that he came into his own in a college career that saw him turn out for Arkansas State in 2021 and 2022 and Mississippi State from 2023-2025.
He had initially transferred to Colorado in 2023, but moved to Mississippi State without playing for the Buffs.
"Starting off, I knew maybe no more than a handful of wide receivers. I only knew the big names - I knew Odell [Beckham Jr.] and I knew Julio [Jones], so those were guys that I [looked at] like: 'Oh, wow. These guys are really good at what they do,'" he said.
Though difficult at first, the move to tight end proved a masterstroke with a breakout 2022 season at Arkansas State followed by a superb stint with the Bulldogs.
Traore is now hoping to be selected in the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh from Thursday 8 p.m. ET to Saturday together with fellow IPPP hopefuls K Kansei Matsuzawa (Japan), Joshua Weru (Kenya) and Uar Bernard (Nigeria).
The 2025 season saw graduates such as Nigeria's Basil Chijioke 'CJ' Okoye (Baltimore Ravens) and Chukwuebuka 'Chu' Jason Godrick (Kansas City Chiefs) and Zimbabwe's Thabani 'TJ' Maguranyanga (Washington Commanders) play their parts in regular season games. Okoye in particular had an impressive season for the Baltimore Ravens.
Traore heads into the draft with far more experience than the likes of Okoye had when they entered the league, as the NFL Academy and IPPP reach a level of maturity that could see success stories from their international talent becoming the norm rather than anomalies.
If there is anything binding Traore and Okoye - other than African heritage and IPPP experience - it is a burning desire to be in the league to do more than merely make up numbers.
"It gives confidence [to aspiring players] seeing somebody from their nationality or their hometown playing at a high level," said Traore of the success of Okoye and others from the IPPP.
"I feel like everyone has that same dream of being a superstar. In my eyes - in my head - everything is for the taking. It's out there for me to grab, anyone to grab. That's why everyone is competing to get it. Everything is for the taking in my eyes. We've just got to work towards it.
"The realisation of: 'It's here and it's happening now' is what I've been experiencing. After that last college game, getting into training and getting into everything, it's like: 'It's right around the corner.'"