Joshua Agbenou is listed as a 6'2, 245-pound defensive lineman from Apalachee High School in Bethlehem, Ga. The senior has crafted an impressive resume in his 24 career games, but his journey goes far beyond the football field.

In 1999, Ekue Agbenou won a visa lottery which allowed him to immigrate to the United States from Togo, a small country in West Africa. One year later, he was able to bring his wife, Selom, back by his side.

The KSU football player described that his parents had a unique story.

"My parents were married in Togo and then were apart for a year as my mom, Selom, waited to come to the United States," said Agbenou. "I came along in 2001, one year after they were settled stateside."

Agbenou grew up with a love for sports, but as a native of West Africa, his parents wanted him to pursue soccer for his extracurricular activity. It took serious persuasion and even some help from his church pastor to convince his parents to let him play football.

"I didn't start playing football until the sixth grade and my parents were not very fond of it," said Agbenou. "Being an African, they [my parents] were playing soccer more often and did not like the idea of me participating in a violent and physical sport."

When asked how he was able to convince them otherwise, Agbenou smiled and mentioned a very special person who was able to change their minds.

"It took me going to our church pastor, who was a big football fan, to convince my parents to let me play," laughed Agbenou. "He saw me play other sports like baseball and soccer and told my parents that I needed to be playing football."

His pastor was correct, as Agbenou shined during his high school days which led to 14 college scholarship offers, including five by FBS programs.

The defensive standout chose to sign with Furman University of the Southern Conference where he played in 18 games during a two-year period.

"Being a young football player on scholarship, I was not as grateful as I should have been for the opportunity that Furman gave me," said Agbenou. "I had a lot of pride and stubbornness that caused me not to be thankful where my feet were at, which ultimately led me to leaving the program."

Agbenou entered the transfer portal after the 2020 season but discovered that finding a new landing spot was more difficult than he imagined.

"My grades were low, and I had to sit out because of it," Agbenou expressed when asked about a tough time in his life. "I ended up working a few different warehouse jobs and would always get asked by my coworkers why I wasn't playing football because of my size." 

In the summer of 2022, he decided to give football another chance.

"There was a moment that I tried to forget about football, but then realized I needed to accomplish something, and I wanted to get my degree," said Agbenou. "I knew in order to do that, I had to get my grades up to be eligible to play."

Agbenou spent the summer working out with his high school football team to get back into playing shape. He then was able to get in contact with Kennesaw State defensive backs coach, Darius Safford, who told him about the walk-on tryout.

"If it wasn't for Coach Safford responding back to me, then I wouldn't be here right now," Agbenou stated. "He told me about the workout, and I showed up wearing the tightest black shirt and shorts I could find to make sure my muscles were as big as possible when I met the coaching staff."

An impressive workout was ended by a conversation with Kennesaw State football head coach Brian Bohannon.

"Coach Bohannon told me that if I was going to join the team, I had to get my grades up," Agbenou explained. "He told me that I would be treated as a walk-on, and I would have to earn a scholarship."

Agbenou spent the 2022 season improving his grades and earned a football scholarship for the 2023 campaign. Both were goals that solidified his opportunity of redemption on the football field.

"First, I have to give thanks to God," Agbenou proclaimed. "I was in a dark hole, and I just remained in constant prayer asking Him if I should go back to playing football. I had an identity crisis in the two years that I wasn't playing football, but I was able to realize that I am not just a football player. I am a student, a son, a brother, and my time away from the game humbled me."

When asked about his parents' reaction to him receiving a scholarship at KSU, he stated their response was exactly how you would imagine.

"They were ecstatic, especially my mom," Agbenou expressed with a huge smile on his face. "She couldn't even talk because she was crying so much. I know it was a big moment for them because during the year I was a walk-on and getting my grades up, they were having to send me money and find ways to get to food drives to send me groceries."

Agbenou expressed that even during the tough year of being a walk-on, his parents had faith in him to earn a scholarship and they never lost their faith in God to provide.

"I know it was rough for them to wait for me to be back on scholarship, but they had faith in God and faith in me and my hard work," said Agbenou. "It all paid off."

This season, the Kennesaw State defensive lineman has appeared in all six games for the Owls while making two starts. He has posted 15 total tackles (five solo) with one sack on Homecoming against Tennessee State.

When asked about his plan after college, the message was simple.  

"My dream would definitely be to make it to the NFL but if that doesn't happen, my goal is to become a physical therapist," Agbenou stated. "My mom is a caretaker and seeing her work with the elderly has really given me a desire to help and take care of others."

Agbenou admitted that his parents had a unique story of coming to the United States in 2000, but one could say the journey and path he took on the football field is just as special.
 

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