When running backs coach Keiki Misipeka presented a tape of New Zealand sprinter Eddie Osei-Nketia to the rest of the coaching staff at the University of Hawai’i, the excitement was unanimous.
In front of them, they had a raw prospect the likes of which scouts can only hope tocome across; well over six-foot with a solid frame — and he can run 100m in 10.08sec.
“You can’t teach fast,” Misipeka told the Herald. “A guy who’s about 6′3 or 6′4, at 200lbs, with that blazing speed, he’s a freak of nature.”
The University of Hawai’i signed Osei-Nketia to a full scholarship, with the 21-year-old joining the school in 2023. In their announcement of the signing, the football programme had him listed as a wide receiver, however, Misipeka believed it was too early to pigeonhole the young Kiwi as he could make a good running back too.
Osei-Nketia’s signing with the college was a case of the stars aligning, as Misipeka had initially looked at the young speedster while working as a scout in the Oceania region for the NFL’s International Player Pathways (IPP) programme.
Misipeka said he started soft conversations about a potential switch to American football with Osei-Nketia in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympic Games after noticing an image of former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown on Osei-Nketia’s Instagram feed.
“I thought ‘hey, there might be something here’ because he’s a world-class sprinter, but he’s got a picture of an NFL wide receiver on his IG account. I figured ‘let’s just poke at him and see what he has to say’ but he shut me down and I respected that,” Misipeka said.
When those initial conversations took place, Osei-Nketia was focused on trying to secure a place at the Tokyo Olympics — a place he ultimately qualified for through his world ranking, but was not selected to fill by the New Zealand Olympic Committee — but the two were in touch again late last year and conversations about the switch became more meaningful.
Eddie Osei-Nketia at the NZ Track and Field Championships. Photo / Photosport
While it was an image of Brown that made Misipeka think Osei-Nketia might be interested in pursuing the sport, the coach said it was Cyril Grayson, another former NFL wide receiver, that might have really caught the young sprinter’s attention.
Grayson was a sprinter at Louisiana State University and entered the NFL having played no collegiate football. During the 2021 season, while significantly down the depth chart, Grayson’s speed meant he could create defensive headaches for the opposition as he had to be accounted for. Grayson won a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers earlier this year.
“That was very, very intriguing for Eddie,” Misipeka said.
“I said ‘Eddie, zero experience playing football and this guy won a Super Bowl. I want you to put yourself in his shoes, and what if we can make some of those things happen?’”
Misipeka had moved into his role with the University of Hawai’i and suggested the collegiate route to Osei-Nketia, which was a more solid plan for a raw talent with no experience than the IPP might be.
While the IPP puts international prospects in an NFL setting straight away to try to prepare them for the league, attending a combine to try and earn a place in that programme ends the athlete’s collegiate eligibility.
Taking the college route means Osei-Nketia will compete among high-level athletes while also working towards gaining a degree, with plans to study physical education and teaching.
American football wasn’t the only route Osei-Nketia had looked into as he investigated the possibility of moving away from sprinting. He expected to travel to Christchurch last year with the hopes of making the Crusaders Super Rugby team, but Covid-19 disrupted those plans.
Misipeka said he was aware of the other possible suitors for the blazing young talent, but felt the offer from the University of Hawai’i wasn’t one that could be matched by another code.
“I’d have been happy for him with whatever opportunity presented itself, but I honestly felt that we had the edge because I painted the picture as far as his development. Not just at the collegiate level but what other opportunities might be available to him at a professional level.
“I take nothing away from rugby or other codes, but he gets to come to Hawai’i and play in America where he can kill two birds with one stone — he gets an education and he gets to play American football. I don’t know if he’s able to get that pursuing rugby.”
