Bamidele Olaseni
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | 12 January 1996 London, England |
| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight: | 339 lb (154 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Garden City CC (2017–2018) Utah (2019–2021) |
| Position: | Offensive tackle |
| CFL draft: | 2022G / round: 1 / pick: 7 |
| Undrafted: | 2022 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Bamidele Matthew Olaseni, known as Bam (born 12 January 1996) is an English-American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Utah Utes.
College career
[edit]Olaseni, originally from London, England, began playing football in his homeland in the London Blitz under-19 team, a franchise whose first team participates in the British American Football Championship, and then moved to the United States in 2017, attending Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas,[1][2] and thus going to play with the Broncbusters who play in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).[3] In 2018, Olaseni helped the Broncbusters reach the championship final (lost against East Mississippi) and was included among the best players of the season in the entire championship (All-America Team).[4]
Due to his performances, Olaseni received offers from various NCAA colleges, choosing to enroll in 2019 at the University of Utah and playing with the Utes who play in the Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12) of Division I of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).[5][6] In his first season at college he was redshirted, meaning he could train but not take part in official matches.[7] He still managed to play right tackle in two games, including one as a starter, without losing his redshirt status.[8] In 2020, he played on special teams in all five games of the championship, shortened by the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, he played in all 14 games of the season, 11 as a starter, as left tackle.[9] The 2021 season concluded with the Utes' first Rose Bowl appearance in history, losing to Ohio State, and then Olaseni was invited to the 97th East–West Shrine Bowl, a college football all-star game.[10]
At the end of the season Olaseni declared himself eligible for the 2022 NFL draft.[11] Olaseni was included by the NFL, together with 12 other athletes, in the International Player Pathway Program, aimed at encouraging the arrival of players of international origin in the main US professional league.[12]
Colege statistics
[edit]| Season | Games | |
|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | |
| Garden City CC | ||
| 2017 | 10 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 | 0 |
| Utah | ||
| 2019 | 2 | 1 |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 |
| 2021 | 13 | 9 |
| Career | 30 | 10 |
Source: Football DBCareer personal bests are in bold
Professional career
[edit]Las Vegas Raiders
[edit]Olaseni was not chosen during the 2022 NFL draft, but on the other hand, was the first choice of the Calgary Stampeders during the 2022 CFL global draft of the Canadian Football League (CFL), an event of the Canadian league for the selection of international players.[13] On May 12, 2022, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders.[14]
On August 30, 2022, Olaseni did not return to the team's initial active roster and was released by the Raiders[15] and then signed with the practice squad the following day[16] but was then released again on September 1, 2022.[17]
Houston Gamblers (USFL)
[edit]In October 2022, Olaseni signed for the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL), a minor American professional league which, after an experience in the 1980s, had resumed its activities from 2022, with the season scheduled for the spring period.[18][19]
Personal life
[edit]On March 28, 2023, Olaseni announced that he was in the process of trying out for Wrestlemania 39.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ "Blitz player off to USA's #1 ranked Junior College". 28 July 2017.
- ^ Christopher Kamrani (4 September 2019). "London, Kansas, Utah: Bam Olaseni can play wherever, including, potentially, the NFL". The Athletic.
- ^ "Bamedele Olasemi bio". Garden City CC.
- ^ "London Blitz's Bamidele Olaseni named First Team NJCAA All American". 20 December 2018.
- ^ Woods, AJ (February 6, 2019). "Utah Football Signs 4-Star JUCO Offensive Tackle Bamidele Olaseni". blocku.com. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
- ^ "Bamidele Olaseni Timeline Events". 247 Sports.com.
- ^ Corey Roepken (17 April 2022). "What does Redshirt mean?". GMTM - social network for athletes, coaches, trainers and industry staff.
- ^ Hinkhouse, Madison; Allen, Trevor (2 November 2019). "Bamidele Olaseni Makes Utah Debut At Right Tackle Against The Huskies". KSL Sports.
- ^ "Bamidele Olaseni bio". Utah Utes.
- ^ Trevor Allen (21 December 2021). "Utah OL Bamidele Olaseni Accepts Invitation To Shrine Bowl".
- ^ Cole Bagley (11 March 2022). "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Bamidele Olaseni reflects on the 2021 season and shares his preparations for the NFL Draft". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "2022 NFL International Player Pathway program: 13 athletes from nine countries selected". NFL.com. 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Stamps Pick Three In 2022 Global Draft". 3 May 2022.
- ^ "Raiders announce undrafted free agent signings". Raiders.com. 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Raiders finalize initial 53-man roster for the 2022 season". Raiders.com. 30 August 2022.
- ^ "Raiders announce practice squad additions". Raiders.com. 31 August 2022.
- ^ "Raiders announce additional practice squad transactions". Raiders.com. 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Gamblers new Pit Bosses in the Trenches". USFL Network.com. 14 October 2022.
- ^ Jeffrey May (24 November 2021). "The USFL is reborn in 2022". AS.com.
- ^ Bodkin, Michelle (March 28, 2023). "Former Utah Ute Football Player Trying Out For WWE". KSL Sports. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
