Sunday, February 13, it’s the Super Bowl! In a few years, who knows, a Frenchman may be on the lawn of the number one sporting event in the United States. Utopian? Not at all. NFL's Flag Football Project at VivaTech”>Jeffrey M’Ba seems cut out for the challenge. In the meantime, this big fan of Odell Beckham Jr, one of the two star receivers of the Rams, gives franceinfo: sport his prognosis for this year: “I think Los Angeles will win. Cincinnati won’t be able to pull off another miracle.” He, precisely, is in the process of accomplishing one.
At the moment it looks like“American Dream” perfect. The script is worthy of Hollywood. Imagine. A young Frenchman, born in Gabon and having grown up in Vendée, discovered American football at the age of 16. Immediate love at first sight for this sport which corresponds perfectly to M’Ba’s already impressive physique. Very quickly, he dominates his opponents in the “trenches”, namely these two lines which oppose each other when the game comes to life.
Another tackle at the line of scrimmage for Jeffrey M’Ba, followed it up with a QB pressure on the ensuing third down pic.twitter.com/OvqCUGhmsg
– Tim Verghese (@TimVerghese) November 7, 2021
He is Defensive Tackle. Its mission is simple: to cross the curtain of hounds facing it, to interfere as much as possible with the quarterback who is about to throw the ball and, in an ideal world, the sacker (to tackle him before he throws). He does it so well, and so often, with the Hussars of La Roche-sur-Yon, his first club, that he quickly exiles himself to the Pôle France de Bordeaux where he becomes, with the Kangaroos of Pessac, champion of France. in 2018. Like the emblem of his club, M’Ba is making giant leaps. But he does them alone.
While we imagine him pampered by his coaches, too happy to have got his hands on a nugget, the reality is quite different. “I was quickly promised to the France team”he says. “I imagined something incredible but very quickly I realized that the coaches would not help me”. Physical monster with a technique still a little frustrating, M’Ba comes up against staffs “who were in denial, who laughed in my face and who even wrote emails to American universities to tell them not to take me”.
But such a rough diamond obviously could not stay in the far too confined setting of the French league. Then begins a long journey through the United States, the Eldorado of all players. M’Ba is not going to count the kilometers, multiplying the visits to the schools, nor the efforts. A year later, in 2019, the “lineman” is indeed in Baltimore, in the prestigious Saint Frances Academy, a real breeding ground for talent.
This time surrounded by players of a completely different level than those he faced in France, and after a sometimes painful apprenticeship (“Once, two opponents dragged me for 20 yards!”), Jeffrey M’Ba continues to wreak havoc. It must be said that his measurements (1.98 m for 144 kg) are already those of a pro player. And earned him this oh so revealing nickname of “Thanos”, in reference to the super-powerful villain of the Marvel films. “I like that nickname,” he laughs. “It’s simple, effective and in the film he is ultimately rather nice. In his own way”.
In his strong way, the Franco-Gabonese will however deviate, for the first time, from his career as a meteorite. While applying for the prestigious University of Virginia, in NCAA (the antechamber of the NFL), the Vendéen is overtaken by his old notes on the benches of French school, considered insufficient to integrate the American program. He’s backed off! The story could have ended there. But it is bad to know the perseverance of M’Ba.
Returning to France, he first sought to obtain a SAT (diploma for expatriates which allows them access to American universities) before opting for the JUCO program (Junior College) whose sports organization serves as an incubator for the NCAA. Not easy to navigate in the middle of these acronyms but, as on a ground, M’Ba will manage to clear a path.
HYPE CFB x NFL
✅JEFFREY M’BA #1 AND THE NFL WEEK 10 HYPEThe news fell this week, the @jeffrey_mbaa Independence CC’s Defensive Tackle is the No. 1 ranked player in the country. A real feat when you consider the density of players in the United States! pic.twitter.com/303ZHvnrSy
— HYPE ⚽️ ⚾️ (@HypeSportsMedia) November 18, 2021
He thus manages to be accepted at the Junior College of Kansas where a new test nevertheless awaits him: the Covid-19, which leads to the cancellation of all sports programs. Nothing to face this obstacle, even for Thanos, who must take his troubles patiently and train alone. He only comes back even stronger. To the point of being considered, at the end of the season, as the number 1 hope of the country, all positions combined! Yes, him the native of Libreville in Gabon, ranked above all that the US nation has future quarterbacks. He laughs about it. “It’s huge, it’s true…”
Logically, the most prestigious universities in the country fought to attract the graces of the prodigy. The latter finally opted for the Auburn Tigers, famous for having recently revealed the quarterback Cam Newton, crowned best player in the NFL and finalist of the Superbowl in 2015. The position is not the same but the path is clear for the Frenchy, who hopes for a happier outcome (the Newton Panthers had lost in the final against the Broncos).
SIGNED✍️
Welcome to the Auburn Family @jeffrey_mbaa !#WarEagle | #AuburnMade pic.twitter.com/wZjG7rSYXp
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 19, 2021
If he continues his momentum, Jeffrey M’Ba could well become the second French player, after the reference Richard Tardits, to play a match in the League. Other Tricolores tried their luck but, usually confined to training squads, did not experience the real madness of the League like Tardits, 27 NFL games on the clock with the New England Patriots. “I participated in a podcast with him a while ago” recalls M’Ba. “The guy is a legend”. A deference to the honor of M’Ba who could, however, mark much more the history of his sport.
When asked about her aspirations, her voice, so poised and almost soft, suddenly becomes firmer. “Obviously I want to be drafted in number 1, or in any case in the Top 5. And if it’s not this season, it will be the next”. At 22, the Frenchy still has time and does not want to cut corners. “The Super Bowl is every player’s dream, but it’s still a long way off. Above all, my goal is to play in the NFL” . And to the question of whether he has a team in which he would particularly like to evolve, his answer is disarmingly simple: “If possible where it is not too cold”. Would Thanos be chilly?
