Heritage football alum Justin Adekoya hoping to get a call from an NFL team.
After continuing to exemplify a top caliber football player in the state of Georgia, executing solid tackles and sacks for losses, former Heritage Generals’ defensive tackle Justin Adekoya made the play of plays on a fall evening in October 2012. Following a series of run plays— Adekoya waited forbearingly for his defensive assignment after the ball was snapped—Southeast Whitfield quarterback Will Swantic looked in Adekoya’s direction only to throw the ball where he was gawking, initiating the senior at the time to snag the interception.
Plays like this earned Adekoya the right to represent Heritage High School and play in the North Georgia/ South Georgia All-Star Game, the Stump on Sports Tennessee/Georgia All-Star Game, the All-Commonwealth Team as a member of the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and compete amongst the best players in the world at various NFL camps following the 2017 NFL draft.
Adekoya’s stellar play during his high school and collegiate football careers opened doors to the San Francisco 49ers’ and the New Orleans Saints’ rookie minicamp tryouts—a chance for Adekoya to display his skillset in a series of offensive linemen drills. Other teams interested in Adekoya include the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos. Adekoya said he chose to try out for the Saints because his agent had negotiated signings to these teams before and the agent was familiar with the personnel and knew there was opportunity.
Right now, Adekoya is waiting for a phone call from either of these teams to see if he will perdure his dream of playing football in the NFL.
“It’s nerve-racking and frustrating in the sense that you go to one team and you don’t get a call right away,” Adekoya said. “It makes you wonder ‘what if I went to this camp or that camp— one that you didn’t choose.’ It’s a waiting period. I’m grateful for the opportunity that I was able to play on the same level with those guys. I was happy I had the opportunity to play against big-time draft picks.”
Exchanging a consummate effort on the gridiron for a spot on one of the 32 teams in the NFL is what Adekoya earnestly wants, but he said he already knows his tryout exhibition left a positive, longstanding effect with the coaches, and more importantly, himself.
“One thing that I’ve gotten the most out of was being able to show myself that I was able to compete at that level,” he said.
His grit, fortitude and work ethic in these minicamps were developed early on in a single-parent household, where
Adekoya learned to be unyielding in a home— led by his mother— and that perseverance and willpower go a long way in life.
With an interest in basketball in his adolescent years combined with Adekoya growing to 6-foot5 by the time high school rolled around, he decided to play basketball for the Generals. While his mother worked long hours in an effort to provide for the family, Adekoya knew she couldn’t pay for college. His goal was simple: earn a scholarship.
When interest from colleges weren’t there for Adekoya to play basketball, he decided to play football. In his junior year, he started at defensive tackle.
“I was flying under the radar and didn’t play football long, “Adekoya said.” I was learning as I went,”
The transition, though, worked as Adekoya excelled at defensive tackle, fostering himself as one of the best defensive players in Georgia. In 2012, Adekoya made the 7-AAA All-Region team and the Atlanta JournalConstitution All-State team.
The former Navyand-Red defensive juggernaut received many letters to play college football, but he chose to go to EKU.
Realizing he wasn’t as capable and equipped to play defense in college, though, Adekoya made the transition from defensive line to offensive line amid his playing days with Eastern Kentucky. Once again his transition worked as he was recognized just last season as one of the best players in the state of Kentucky, catapulting into several potential opportunities with NFL teams.
Although there is a strong possibility Adekoya will be signed in the very near future, he said he is enjoying the progress made thus far.
“What it means to me is getting myself out of the situation I was once in,” Adekoya said. “The most important thing was to get my education; that was on my mind once I left high school. Representing the community, I wanted to prove to the community—I know I had supporters who believed in me—that I could get myself through college using the opportunity of playing football. I wanted to prove to myself and others that I would finish school, stand on my own, have a functional family and have kids that I would be able to provide for.”
As a college graduate in 2017, Adekoya earned a bachelor’s degree in social work, and, he said he will pursue a master’s degree in social work with dreams of entering the business, before one day having a practice of his own.
Whether it’s football or social work in the immediate future for Adekoya, he said he wants to also mentor children to be the best they can be as well.
Until then, the former standout Heritage football player plans to keep training, preparing for the biggest phone call of his life with everything that he has, while keeping in mind that he has a bright future, whether it’s football or social work in the immediate future.