By Alain Poupart, Dolphins.com
Talk about a win-win situation for Jay Ajayi.
The Dolphins running back has been enjoying a memorable trip overseas that has combined gaining valuable work experience as well as visiting family and friends and making lifetime memories as well.
Ajayi has been in his native London, England, all week participating in an externship with NFL UK.
“It’s been great,” Ajayi said Thursday in an interview with The Finsiders. “I’ve been able to get a chance to sit in some meetings and kind of see what the NFL UK over here has kind of been trying to accomplish and seeing how the NFL exposure over here is just continuing to grow. It’s been really cool.”
It’s not unusual for Dolphins players to land externships in the offseason, but having the chance to do it in London has made it extra special for Ajayi.
Ajayi accompanied the Dolphins to London last October when they faced the New York Jets at Wembley Stadium, but he wasn’t able to play in the game because he was at the time on the injured reserve-designated to return list.
The idea of spending time at the NFL UK offices actually originated during Ajayi’s time off the active roster last season after conversations with Dolphins Director of Player Engagement Kaleb Thornhill.
“During the time where I was put on short-term IR I was spending a lot of time talking to Kaleb Thornhil and we were just trying to discuss how I could leverage my NFL identity and use it to my advantage in the offseason and just kind of the programs that the NFL offers,” Ajayi said. “I remember after we went to Wembley and just from speaking with (former NFL players) Adewale Ogunleye and Osi Umenyiora, guys that were over here, I felt like it would be an opportunity later on to come after the season was over and I spoke to Kaleb and he was able to get in contact with the NFL UK offices over here and it just became a thing to where we just kind of created this opportunity to come over here and kind of do an externship and learn and be around while also being able to come back home to London and visit my family and see all my friends as well.”
Make no mistake, it’s not been all work for Ajayi, who arrived in London on Friday, Feb. 26 and will leave Monday.
Along with sitting in on meetings or lunches with corporate sponsors or giving football clinics, Ajayi has managed to find time for his other athletic passion: soccer.
Actually, his soccer experiences alone would have made this a memorable trip.
First, he got to meet his childhood idol, French soccer player Thierry Henry, who surprised him while he was conducting an interview. Henry played eight seasons for English soccer team Arsenal, which happens to be Ajayi’s favorite team.
To give you an idea of what Henry means to Ajayi, the Dolphins running back wrote this on Instagram to accompany a photo of the two: “Wouldn't have been passionate about sports if it wasn't for THIERRY HENRY. #GOAT14.”
The video, which has become a hit on social media, shows Ajayi shocked to the point of being speechless upon seeing Henry walking through the door.
“It was incredible because I had no clue at all that they even had it planned,” Ajayi said of meeting Henry. “I guess the NFL UK had been planning it for him to surprise me there. They were hiding him and stuff. When I was doing my interview and you see the video, I really didn’t have a clue at all. When I saw him, I didn’t have any words because I didn’t really understand what was going on at the moment, but it was great. And then finally I was able to kind of talk to him and now being able to hang out with him a little bit, he’s a great person, very humble and someone that’s given me a lot of advice already. It’s just been real fun trying to pick his brain and get advice from him.”
It just got better from there for Ajayi, who later attended an Arsenal game in person for the first time, courtesy of another soccer player, Olivier Giroud.
Ajayi and Giroud exchanged jerseys, with Ajayi proudly showing off Giroud’s Arsenal number 12 in an Instagram picture.
“It was incredible,” said Ajayi, who had been in contact with Giroud leading up to his trip. “I remember walking through the streets before the crowd, before the game walking up to the stadium. Finally got inside, actually sitting down at my seat and being a part, hearing all the chants and everything. Obviously we wish we would have won that game, we needed those points. But just from an experience standpoint and just the whole vibe and the scene from (Wednesday) night, it was amazing. It was definitely breathtaking. I enjoyed myself.”
That last sentence pretty much sums up Ajayi’s trip so far.
But on top of enjoying himself, he’s gaining experience and more insight into the NFL’s ever-growing London presence.
“I remember from that Wembley game (last year) and seeing how many fans were out there and seeing all the streets flooded and the stadium filled,” Ajayi said. “Finally coming over here and being in the offices and just seeing what they have planned for the future and how they’re already planning for more games and the stadiums, more stadiums to be played in over here, it’s been just real cool to see the growth and how the NFL in London is starting to become a big thing.
“It was kind of cool being the ambassador for the NFL and being in these offices and how they’re going to be adding games to Twickenham Stadium even though I’m an Arsenal supporter; they’ll be playing in Tottenham (Stadium) as well and stuff. Just seeing how they’re expanding and all that, it’s been really cool just being a part of all that.”
If you want to learn more about Jay Ajayi's experience click here to hear his radio interview with Finsiders