GOAL Convo: The former Penn State and current Dyanmo center-back disussed his unique path to MLS, and social media approach
Scoring your first senior goal is a deeply personal moment for any player. Femi Awodesu is no different. His goal for the Houston Dynamo was a landmark, a highlight of an individual journey that has required years of sacrifice and hard work on and off the field.
What makes Awodesu's goal so unique is that, like his journey as a whole, it wasn't just personal. Awodesu doesn't keep moments like those for himself; he shares them with the hundreds of thousands of people who have followed him every step of the way.
Over the last few years, he's amassed more than 400,000 followers and 14.7 million likes on TikTok, inviting anyone willing to follow to join him every step of the way, from the moment he thought he didn't make it right up until the moment he did.
Awodesu isn't a typical first-year MLS player. He arrived in Houston with a built-in following, one that he cultivated throughout the last several years. It didn't come from a famous last name, scandal or even a particular moment. No, it began in a Penn State dorm room with a single iPhone and one simple goal: build a community and bring them along for the ride, wherever it may take him.
Followers have seen him collect college awards, go undrafted and build his professional career from nothing. They've seen boot reviews, training sessions and locker room moments. They've watched him build a business and go from college star to afterthought to MLS starter. That's not really the reason they're watching, though. They're watching to see if the man behind that iPhone can actually become the player he always dreamed of being.
"The moment you want it to get easy is the moment you need to stop playing," Awodesu tells GOAL. "I've realized that it never gets easier. It gets better and maybe you get more successful, but it never gets easier. On my journey, I thought like 'Oh, once I make it to this level, it will get easier'. It gets much better, but it also brings more work. What I'm doing now, it's hard work, so I've quit looking for it to get easier. Now, I'm just looking to get better."
When that goal hit the back of the net, the lanky centerback celebrated instantly, as if he always knew what he'd be doing when it did happen. The celebration was Dynamo-inspired as he mimicked throwing a stick of dynamite into the crowd. A big boom for a big goal, a viral moment for a player who surely knows what it means to go viral.
Moments later, Awodesu was brought back down to earth, as he was harshly sent off and Dynamo ended up falling to the Seattle Sounders. Even a dream day didn't come easily.
But that was just one moment and, throughout his journey, Awodesu has learned that moments are fleeting. He captures as many as he can and, if all goes to plan, he'll document plenty more.
Awodesu discussed his career, his passions and life in MLS in the latest GOAL Convo, a Q&A with central figures in the American soccer scene.
IMAGNON HIS MLS BREAKTHROUGH
GOAL: You spent last season in MLS Next Pro, but have very much been thrown into the fire this season. There was no feeling-out process as you went right into the Dynamo XI. What has the adjustment been like?
AWODESU: From college to Next Pro wasn't too much of a leap, but that leap to MLS is huge. In college and in Next Pro, there are just so many things you can get away with that you can't at this level. It's night and day. The good thing is that they are adjustments I know I can make. I have the capability to make these plays and everything, so it's just about creating good habits. It's a big leap, but I haven't felt like I've been drowning.
GOAL: You've faced some really good attackers so far. Are there any that have had you like "Oh wow, that's the level?" Is there anyone that's just seemed different or caught you more than you expected?
AWODESU: As a competitor, I had to acknowledge it but, obviously, playing Miami, you have world-class players with really good movement. They're just smarter and more experienced. They've been there. So, when Suarez is talking sh*t, being in that situation, you have to step up to that level and deal with this. You understand he's going to be floating around and looking for space. [Colorado Rapids striker Rafael Navarro], I conceded a penalty on him.I can do a lot better in that situation, but he knows that I wanted to poke the ball so he just put his foot there as an experienced player. These guys and those two situations made me realize how smart these guys are, and that I need to grow up in that sense.
GOAL: You score that first goal, which is a dream moment, but six minutes later you get sent off. What's the feeling like when you're sitting there just processing it all?
AWODESU: If I could explain professional soccer to anyone, it would be those six minutes. The highs are super high and the lows are super low. I've experienced that and it's why I'm working on meditation off the field. You have to stay level, never too high and never too low.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportON HIS PATH TO THE PROS
GOAL: You began with the Philadelphia Union academy as a forward. How did you find your way to center-back and why didn't it really work in Philly?
AWODESU: I hit a really late growth spurt! When I left the Union, I wasn't even my tallest yet. I was just underdeveloped with the Union, I'd say. I wasn't as athletic as I am now, and my athleticism is now one of the strongest parts of my game. I was pretty slow and I was skinny. I wasn't strong at all. I was enjoying it, but they didn't see me as a pro player. I didn't think I'd end up being a center-back either, but I was just someone that wanted to be on the field. I was willing to do whatever it took to play. You could have stuck me in net and I probably would have figured it out.
GOAL: You go to Penn State, two-time Big Ten Conference Player of the Year, and then on draft day, your name doesn't get called. How do you cope with that? Those moments have to make you rethink if you can actually make it, right?
AWODESU: You just have to decide, like, "Are you really going to do this? Do you want to pursue this?" That wasn't hard for me to decide. I knew I wanted to be a professional. The pro pathway was the pathway I wanted, and it was hard, one of the hardest things I ever went through. I was expected to be drafted and then, not getting drafted, every day my stomach was in a knot. But I was determined to prove people wrong.
ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
GOAL: So how did the TikTok start? Was it just a fun thing or did you see it as a type of fallback where you can stay in soccer if the pro pathway never worked out for you?
AWODESU: I always enjoyed making videos. As a kid, I'd record myself taking free kicks, but it was also definitely for business purposes. When I was in college, I knew that it would be nice to have something extra. I've definitely enjoyed doing it, though. It's been cool documenting my journey and then using that to inspire others. When I was a kid, I was always looking for people in my situation and people who wanted what I wanted. All of the other stuff that comes with it? That's nice, too.
@femiawodesu
One step at a time #weup #football #soccer
♬ original sound – Femi Awodesu
GOAL: What part of it do you like most? Is it the creative process? The community?
AWODESU: The community is sick. Everywhere I go, there are kids that feel like they are a part of it, which is so cool. It's better than being a celebrity. It feels like everyone can relate to me. That part of it is so cool. The creative side, I love just making videos. It's like a routine. After every match, everyone expected a video. Now, being hyper-focused on being a professional, there's much more that goes into things with pressure and tactics, so there's more going on in my life. I can't push out as much content, but the stuff I do push out, I make sure it's high quality and something people enjoy.
GOAL: Was there a point at which you realized things were blowing up?
AWODESU: I realized during my senior year of college. It felt like a proper movement. I started the community and before I was selling anything or anything like that, I wanted a community first. That's the most important. It just kept growing and snowballing. The moment I realized that this is something that's real was a couple of games into my senior season. Every matchday video was doing well and it was just good times.
Getty Images SportON THE JOURNEY
GOAL: What's one thing you don't think people really understand about your life, whether that's on the soccer side or the content side?
AWODESU: I think it's a common misconception – I've seen a couple of comments on my last YouTube video where people were saying "I would do this but I don't have money." I didn't grow up with money. I would just hop from team to team that would take me for free! It's hard, and I don't want to tell people that they have zero excuses, but you can make it no matter what your situation is. My videos are all still made on my same phone. In college, I would have some people help me with boot reviews and editing those, but all of the matchday videos, that was all me. It's mostly just me.
GOAL: Do you have goals, or do you just take things as they come?
AWODESU: I set goals, for sure. I had "Sign a first-team contract" on my board all last year. "Make my first team debut" all of that. Even goals off the field, I write those on my board and I've got some new ones up there now. I accomplished some of them faster than anybody would have thought, or at least I would have thought last year. It's hard to figure out what those next goals are, but I'm figuring it out.