JAY AJAYI

BUT

ShortList gets cosy with Jay Ajayi, an unstoppable, incomparable British sports titan

WORDS: DAN MASOLIVER PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID CLERIHEW

24 WWW.SHORTLIST.COM WWW.SHORTLIST.COM 25 JAY AJAYI ALTER EGO whether it’s giving back to the community or chasing our other As a running back – initially for the “RIGHT NOW dreams – be that fashion, music, before being business, whatever,” says Ajayi, traded to the I’M CALM, I’M who has his own clothing brand, last season – Ajayi’s primary role is CHILL. BUT Yurp. “Yes, we are athletes; that’s to be handed the ball by his WHEN IT’S the career path we’ve chosen. But quarterback and run full-pelt TIME TO that’s not all we are.” J towards the human behemoths of the opposing team’s defensive COMPETE, I ANTHEM line. To witness it is to see the FLIP THE ACTIVISM personification of what happens Ajayi should know. In the when an irresistible force meets SWITCH” Philadelphia locker room – an immovable object. The answer: ay Ajayi is a tough guy. That’s not dubbed the ‘wokest’ in the NFL – whichever one represents Jay up for discussion. Never has been. he is surrounded by some of the Ajayi wins. Standing 6ft tall and tipping the strongest characters with the Ajayi is good at American scales at 223lb (101kg), neck-to- most impressive extracurricular football. Exceptionally good; knuckle tattoos snaking down interests in the league. -winning good. So both arms, lower teeth clad in Men such as defensive end momentum, dominating domestic be better for him to keep quiet good that objectively, in terms of diamond-edged gold grills, he , who donated his discourse from Wyoming to the during these discussions? “Nah,” global recognition and plaudits makes an intimidating first entire base salary for 2017 – worth White House. Kaepernick opted he hits back, decisively and won, he is one of the most impression. He looks as though £788k – to fund educational out of his contract over the dismissively. “I mean, the US is the successful British athletes he could muster enough power charities in the three cities he has controversy, and 49ers general environment that I’m in. It’s where competing today, on a par with from a standing start to reduce played for teams in. And men manager John Lynch suggested I’ve lived most of my life. It’s where Anthony Joshua, Andy Murray and me to a mangled heap of human such as , Torrey that he would have been released my younger siblings were born. Mo Farah. When he turns on the mush with a barge of his shoulder. Smith and Rodney McLeod, who had he not. The knee-taking that So I definitely feel that I have a afterburners, he is unstoppable, I say he ‘looks as though’ he have joined Long in working with connection to it and it’s important hurtling into – and through – he instigated was outlawed, but could do that – Jay Ajayi could do lawmakers on criminal justice to me. Let’s say in the future I’m anyone standing in his way (hence players have continued anthem that. Does do that, in fact. Quite reform. Meanwhile, such was the living in the States and I have his nickname: the Jay Train). Yet protests regardless at preseason regularly. That’s because this concern that the Eagles would children, I don’t want them right now, sinking back into the games this month, and the NFL British-born 25-year-old is one of boycott the traditional post-Super growing up in an environment sofa, speaking in hushed tones says its policy is on hold while the biggest stars in the most Bowl reception at the White that allows certain injustices to and telling people to “have a discussions are held. hard-hitting, high-impact and House that Trump’s team be deemed normal. So no, I won’t blessed day” as they leave the While Kaepernick has the straight-up brutal sport in the cancelled the event entirely. accept that, and I hope that things studio, he comes across less support and admiration of a large world as a Super Bowl-winning “Those are the things that we’ve are going to change.” like a warrior and more like an proportion of players, the team running back for the Philadelphia got in the Eagles,” says Ajayi, who enormous teddy bear. owners want nothing to do with Eagles in the NFL. believes that the team’s highest LONDON BORN So how does he do it? How him. He remains jobless. Ajayi He is, as I say, tough. Which is profile players have created an To hear him talk, it’s clear that can someone be an aggressive thinks that’s a travesty. “I would why it’s surprising that Ajayi, easily atmosphere that allows racial Ajayi has settled just fine in the battering ram on the field, and a love to see him back,” he says. occupying two-thirds of the equality to be as valid a talking open, progressive, activism-rich giant softie off it? “It’s a switch, for “He’s a player who, when it comes three-seater sofa we’re sharing in point as match-day strategy. environment of the Philadelphia me,” he explains. “The Jay Train, down to the actual football, the corner of an east London “It’s a crazy environment. Our locker room. But don’t think for a that’s my persona, my alter ego, on regardless of stats, is better than a photo studio, is talking about leadership made it very easy for second that his interest in the field. It’s my ultra-competitive lot of guys that are in the NFL right the importance of emotional us, in our locker room, to be open, American social politics means mode. Right now I’m calm, I’m now. For that reason alone, there’s support networks. “Obviously [as and to understand that people are that he’s forgotten his roots. chill. But when it’s time to no reason why he shouldn’t be a man] you never want to show affected by things that go on Ajayi grew up in Hackney and compete, I flip the switch. I’m playing.” Not that he holds any weakness,” he says, in a curiously outside of what’s happening in then Essex, before his father’s trying to break tackles, run hope of seeing it happen. “When blended accent of his native our building. Even though football work led his immediate family to through people, do whatever is you look at the NFL and see what’s Hackney and adoptive . “We is our lives, it lets you remember relocate to Frisco, Texas, when necessary to help my team win. been going on, it looks tough for want to be that guy who looks as that there’s a bigger picture, that Ajayi was seven. He’d always Sh*t-talk comes out, I’m real him to return.” though he can handle everything, you are a human being. And as a dreamed of sporting success angry,” his eyes narrow and his How does Ajayi see his own but sh*t happens. And I’ve been human, if you see something – just not the kind he’d eventually jaw tightens. It’s enough to make role in all of this? This is a man fortunate enough to have a great wrong – you see these videos of come to attain. “My first love was you squirm in your seat. who shrouded himself in the support system: good friends, the police, or injustices – and you football – you know, soccer,” he His face relaxes. “But when I Union Jack following his Super brothers that I can lean on if I’m don’t have a feeling towards it, clarifies, almost apologetically. come off the field, I switch that off Bowl victory. He is a proud Brit, ever going through something in my opinion, that’s wrong. If “As a British kid growing up in the and I come back to being Jay passionate about his heritage, [difficult]… As an American there are injustices in our society, US, I remember dreaming of Ajayi the person. The creative guy, with an enormous ‘H’ for Hackney football player – just as a man we have men in our locker room being on the England national soft-spoken, loves to laugh – all tattooed across the back of his in general – having that who are willing to do things to team and scoring a goal at those things.” mammoth right hand. Wouldn’t it support system to lean create change.” Wembley, or playing for Arsenal.” Others in his sport on if you’re ever in need celebrated running back Ray Rice looms large. These are just three away from it – though he does So where does he stand It would be some 15 years haven’t always found [is important].” was arrested after knocking out of the most prominent examples think that more and more players on the as-yet unresolved Colin before Ajayi finally fulfilled his it quite so easy to Maybe, though, his fiancée and dragging her from of a current of toxic masculinity within the NFL share his sporting Kaepernick saga? It was August ambition to set foot on the switch it shouldn’t come as a a lift by her hair (the incident was and unrefined aggression that can split personality. “I mean, 2016 when Kaepernick, the then hallowed Wembley turf. Only not off. In surprise to hear Ajayi caught on CCTV). That same year, flow through sports, such as obviously you’ve got guys that San Francisco 49ers quarterback, in the way he’d dreamed in his 2014, talk about this subject, another superstar running back , that are built have the same personality on and first refused to stand during the youth, but as an American football and in these terms, was indicted after hitting his on bellicose foundations. Even the off the field. But you don’t want to American national anthem in player, during one of the because in 2018, four-year-old son with a tree mid-play cries from the crowd be in that mode all the time. And protest against the social unfailingly popular NFL London toughness branch. And more than a decade resemble those of a boxing it’s good, in my opinion, to see injustices Ajayi has been referring Series games. “It was a crazy, means so much on, the shadow of Atlanta match. On the field, it is war. guys starting to show that we’re to. In the following two years, the surreal feeling,” he says. “It was more than quarterback Michael Vick’s Which makes it all the more more than just athletes. We have a wave of players taking a knee such a special moment for muscle. sadistic dog-fighting ring still remarkable that Ajayi is so serene voice. We have other passions, during the anthem gained me. I can remember going

26 WWW.SHORTLIST.COM WWW.SHORTLIST.COM 27 JAY AJAYI on the pitch, seeing the fans in the stadium, seeing my “IF THERE team warm up, and I had a ARE moment of clarity: ‘I’m playing American football. A British kid. INJUSTICES Here, in Wembley. How did it ever IN OUR turn out this way?’” SOCIETY, WE The answer – though Ajayi himself would put at least part of HAVE MEN IN it down to God’s blessing – is a OUR LOCKER hell of a lot of discipline, determination and an acute sense ROOM WHO of responsibility. “I realised that I ARE WILLING was going to have to be the TO CREATE example early,” he explains. “I’m the eldest of five, so I’ve got four CHANGE” siblings looking [up] at me. Making sure that those guys can be proud [is my priority]. That helps me carry the weight of being a role model to kids from London, who maybe love American football and want to chase that dream, and see me as that example of, ‘Man, that’s where I want to be.’ So yeah, I see at it as a blessing to even be looked at like that. I just try to continue to push my career forward and be successful.” He looks down at his hands. “I gotta get another [Super Bowl] ring. I mean, two rings. Two on each hand! That’s the goal.” Like all elite athletes, Ajayi is driven by winning. More , more titles, more rings. That’s how he got to where he is today. But it’s good to know that in this era of political division and gross inequality, there are still men out there who don’t want success at all costs. Sportsmen who are warriors on the field of play and socially conscious crusaders off it. Men who are prepared to put their necks on the line for the win, and for what they believe in, too.

Jay’s Philadelphia Eagles begin their Super Bowl defence on 7 September on . Join the NFL Kickoff event in London on 8 September;

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OG Anunoby Dom Dwyer Brendan Perlini Menelik Watson The UK’s NBA star: Harlesden- One-time Staines Town striker, Plays for NHL Arizona Coyotes, Raised in Greater ’s born, Missouri-raised Toronto turned US citizen and 2017 which has more Guildford-born Anson Estate; now offensive Raptors small forward. Concacaf Gold Cup winner. members than Surrey Cricket. tackle for the .