JAY AJAYI may not be familiar to many British sports fans – but he should be now.
Draped in the Union Jack, the 24-year-old from East London became the fifth British-born star to win a Super Bowl last night.
Although he did not score a touchdown in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 41-33 triumph over the New England Patriots, Ajayi played a crucial role in their journey to the big game.
The likeable Arsenal fan is proud of his British-Nigerian descent, even if he left these shores at the age of seven.
Like many London lads, he idolises Gunners legend Thierry Henry, even if it is with the pig skin rather than the round ball where he has thrived.
The 6ft and 16st “Jay Train” even has a tattoo of Big Ben on his arm, showing his love of his home country.
And his journey to NFL poster boy is a true story of the American dream.
Ajayi’s mum Kemi and dad Ibi relocated from London to Maryland in 2000 and they later moved to Texas.
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There, the athletic youngster attended Frisco Liberty High School on the outskirts of Dallas.
He proved to be an impressive track and field athlete, and his high school 4×100 metres relay team ran a speedy 42.86sec.
But it was with a football he excelled, rushing for 35 touchdowns in his high school career.
He almost chose association football over the American equivalent, with his dad acting as his coach during his younger years.
Ajayi told The Times: “In my junior year of high school, I had to decide which sport to pursue.
“I had opportunities in football but it involved leaving the US. All my friends were playing American football and I wanted to be part of that.”
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And Ajayi clearly did not have any problems with popularity at high school, he was homecoming king in 2010 and got to wear a crown.
Ajayi attended Boise State University, where he had a scholarship and starred for the football team.
In fact, he did not even complete his full four-year eligibility with the college and entered the 2015 NFL draft.
He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins on an initial £1.77million-a-year rookie contract, a king’s ransom even Premier League footballers would be impressed with.
And lucrative endorsements have followed, including a shoe deal with Adidas and he has even trademarked his own slogan “Yurp”.
The running back also boasts an impressive set of inkings all down his back.
One of his tattoos shows his religious side, with the words: “Father God underneath your everlasting arms you will keep me, Amen.”
Then he has the NFL logo tattooed on the centre of his spine and a picture of the man himself on one knee praying, underneath a depiction of Washington DC’s Capitol Building.
For Ajayi, his career changed direction last year, when his first club, the Miami Dolphins traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles.
And the rest is history as he went on to score for his new team and help run them to Super Bowl victory.
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