This Boise State safety was a ‘utility player’ in high school. Now he’s a ball hawk
Boise State safety Seyi Oladipo has dedicated his football career to his older brother, Samuel.
Samuel, who is three years older, was born with sickle cell anemia.
The painful disorder, which can damage organs and cause extreme joint pain, is triggered by cold weather. That’s not ideal for an aspiring football player in central Colorado, but it didn’t stop Samuel from making a name for himself at Eaglecrest High School.
“Even with everything he had to deal with, he still found a way,” Seyi Oladipo said. “Coaches knew him as the hardest worker on the team, and how he finds a way to impact the people around him is something to look up to.”
The training staff at Eaglecrest had to keep a close eye on the temperature during games. If it dipped below 30 degrees, they’d rush Samuel, a backup quarterback and defensive back, into a heated tent to keep him from going into sickle cell crisis.
“It was a stabbing pain in my arms and legs,” Samuel said. “It’s not fun to go through. I had to learn how to navigate it and take care of myself.”
Samuel didn’t play football in college, but he graduated from Baylor last spring and decided he was better suited to the warmer climate in Texas. He works for an executive recruiting firm, but he stays in close touch with his brother. Samuel said they talk before every game.
He also said talking has never been a problem for Seyi.
“Seyi is a fun-loving guy, and he’s not shy about talking to anyone,” Samuel said, remembering a time when the family saw former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis at an airport. He clung shyly to his parents, while Seyi practically pulled his dad’s arm off trying to meet the NFL Hall of Famer.
Oladipo, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound sophomore at Boise State, has always been bigger than his older brother, but he said he’ll always look up to him.
“He’s the reason I started playing football,” said Seyi, who will take the field for Boise State (6-2, 5-0 Mountain West) Saturday against BYU (5 p.m., FS2).
Tony Oladipo immigrated to the United States from Nigeria in 1991. He grew up playing soccer, but quickly became a fan of football, and his sons followed suit. It wasn’t long before they were obsessed with the sport. Samuel had the higher football IQ in high school, Tony said, but Seyi flourished all over the field.
“The first time someone told me, ‘Your kid is going to play D1,’ I didn’t know what they meant,” Tony said. “But I started to understand when it didn’t matter what position they put him at, he just made plays.”
Seyi called himself a utility player at Eaglecrest. He played cornerback, safety and nickel back, and he averaged 9.5 tackles a game as a senior. He also spent time at wide receiver.
“Early in my career, I wanted to be a running back and go to Stanford, like Christian McCaffrey,” he said. “But I realized pretty quick that I’d rather be the one delivering the hits.”
Seyi Oladipo said the calls and presnap reads that come with playing safety in Boise State’s scheme were all new to him, but he was a quick study, according to Boise State co-defensive coordinator Kane Ioane.
“Sometimes guys have natural instincts and the ability to diagnose plays and have a good feel for being in the right spot,” said Ioane, also the safeties coach. “He’s going to be a dynamic player for us for a long time.”
Oladipo wasted little time making an impact last season. He notched the first two interceptions of his career in the Broncos’ 2021 home opener against UTEP. He has posted 11 tackles and two pass breakups this season.
“He’s just a ball-hawkin’ type of guy,” Boise State safety JL Skinner said. “He’s just always around the ball, even at practice.”
Oladipo, who has seen reps at field safety and nickel this year, said he’ll never forget that day in Albertsons Stadium last season against UTEP. Neither will Tony, who said he locked eyes with his son after the first interception.
“I told him it was going to happen,” said Tony, an ordained minister. “It was all part of God’s plan.”
BYU AT BOISE STATE
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium
TV: FS2 (Dan Hellie, Petro Papadakis)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: Boise State 6-2, 5-0 MW; BYU 4-5
Series: Boise State is 8-4 in its all-time series with BYU, which dates back to 2003. The rivals have played one another every season since 2012.
Vegas line: Boise State by 7.5
Weather: High of 49 degrees, 78% chance of rain, 10 mph wind
