Throughout history, sports have proven to be a great method of bringing people together. The TCNJ football program is a prime example of how a team can unite a group of individuals that come from different backgrounds and walks of life.

The Lions have 11 student-athletes who are either first- or second-generation Americans. The team has a strong camaraderie despite having players who come from several different upbringings and life experiences. The pursuit of academic and athletic excellence has brought this group of individuals with different stories together as one.

"The bond is a realization that you can have kids from different places with different cultures and upbringings come together for a common cause," said TCNJ head football coach Casey Goff. "We look through those differences, not change them, and instead focus on the things they have in common. Those commonalities overshadow the differences. Another aspect of that bond is realizing those differences can remain and yet you can still work towards a common goal and appreciate one another. The world can learn a lot from the mentality of a football locker room."

Sam Akinlolu is a first-generation American originally from Nigeria. He immigrated to America when he was eight years old. His lived with his grandmother in Akure, Nigeria, for seven years until he and his two sisters were able to come to America and reunite with their parents, who immigrated from Nigeria.

"I'm grateful to be a student-athlete at The College of New Jersey," Akinlolu said. "My experience as a first-generation student in America was not nominal, but the accompanying accomplishments brings me great pride in my identity."

Akinlolu is one of two student-athletes in the NJAC on the conference's newly-formed Diversity and Inclusion Committee. As a leader, Akinlolu recognizes the power that a football team has in bonding individuals into a group.

"The TCNJ football team is a community of similarly-aged people, therefore our camaraderie is derived from having a shared experience thus far in terms of athletics and academics, and also having shared values of hard work and resiliency developed from the sport," Akinlolu said. "The concept of diversity in a football team emphasizes strength as a unit and a collective understanding as people." 

Duro Ajayi is a second-generation American. His father is originally from Nigeria. The close-knit environment of the TCNJ football team has helped Ajayi early in his collegiate career.

"I had a few hard moments when working through TCNJ's academia," Ajayi said. "When I talked to people who were in our locker room, I was given ideas and help from people from different backgrounds that made me feel better about myself, and how to deal with issues not only while working, but in other aspects of life. I see them as family."

Ebuka Egwuonwu is a second-generation American whose parents are from Nigeria.

"The camaraderie in the TCNJ football locker room is just like that of any other locker room that has players from diverse backgrounds, bringing together different cultural values with a common desire for excellence on and off the field," Egwuonwu said. "I am grateful for the opportunities TCNJ has given me to further my education at a stellar institution while also pursuing the dreams of every athlete, which is to bring a championship home."

These Lions and their families exemplify the opportunity that the American dream presents. All of these student-athletes are living out the dream of playing the sport they love while receiving a top-notch collegiate education and pursuing their career goals.

Theo Iliadis is a second-generation American whose father was born in Germany and raised in Greece. Iladis' grandparents arrived in America with only $14 in their pockets, and they didn't know a word of English. They started a tailoring business in Hammonton, N.J., raised children, and put them through college. Iliadis uses his family's determination and hard work as motivation to fuel his own journey.

"To me, being a second-generation citizen is important," said Iliadis. "If my grandparents can come to America and do what they did, it should be my duty to further my education and continue to build my family's name, just as they did."
 
Teddy Osei-Kyei is a second-generation American, and his parents were born in Ghana.
 
"As a second-generation citizen in America, I have had the opportunity to be immersed into essentially two different cultures at the same time," said Osei-Kyei. "I am proud to have grown up in a household that shared stories and traditions of the Ghana West Africa community. I am also happy to have been able to grow up in America with my peers. Some have families who have lived in America for many generations, and some peers are like me (second-generation) or even first-generation."
 
Jarron Douglas is a second-generation American whose parents were born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
 
"It feels like everything I wanted for myself and what my parents wanted," said Douglas. "What more can I ask for than being able to play the sport I love, while being able to learn and pursue the career field I've wanted to since middle school, all while living in a country where you can make the most of your opportunities and words like impossible don't exist! I'm happy and also extremely blessed to be where I am right now. A lot of people struggle and wish to live out the American dream, and here I am where that same dream is everyday life for me. I couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity."
 
The second-generation Americans on TCNJ also include Lino Delgiudice, whose father was born in Italy, Elie and Jacob Maurice, whose parents were born in Haiti, Alex Gonzalez, whose father was born in Columbia, and Reese Martinelli, whose mother was born in Portugal.
 
The diverse culture of the TCNJ football program has brought together student-athletes and coaches from different upbringings all over the world with a common objective: to strive for excellence both on the football field and in the classroom. Goff and his coaching staff are inspired by pushing their players to achieve their goals and pursue their dreams.
 
"It's the reason we do what we do," Goff said. "It's not just about the thrill of the game, the excitement and the wins and losses. It's about using the greatest game on the planet at one of the best institutions on the east coast to help kids grow into men who are going to go out and change the world."