LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – Nebraska senior defensive lineman Elijah Jeudy is preparing for his final college football game after a career that took him from Texas A&M to Lincoln.
“I felt like it was just yesterday I was just getting on a college campus my freshman year and getting ready,” Jeudy said. “It went by a little bit too fast.”
Jeudy’s college journey began with the Aggies, where he said he lost his passion for the sport.
“There was a point in time I wanted to give up, but I had to just remember that I’m here for a reason and I’ve got a group of people that love me, that’s going to support me and that’s the reason I kept pushing,” he said.
Over the past three years at Nebraska, Jeudy said he has rediscovered his love for football.
“Over the course of me being here, I grew my love for football back,” he said. “It’s a lot more than what it was before. I had coaches around me that believed in me, so that gave me the motivation to push through and get what I needed to do done.”
Jeudy said his family serves as his primary motivation, particularly his 2-year-old son, Kodah.
“My family as well, everything I do is for them,” he said. “I feel like we literally just had him. Time is flying. He’s getting big fast. He’s talking, he’s running.”
Jeudy said coming home to his son helps him through difficult days.
“Coming home after long days and just being able to come into the family, seeing Kodah when I get home, seeing his smile, it just makes my day a lot better.
“I know there’s days where I have real hard, long days, and then every time I come in the house I’m greeted with a big hug, so there’s nothing else I can ask for.”
After recording his first career sack against Michigan State, Jeudy celebrated with a Spider-Man pose, which he said was done for his son.
Jeudy and his family are also expecting a daughter.
“I wanted a girl. I got her,” he said. “Kodah came first. That was always my big thing, I wanted a boy first so he would be able to protect his little sister. My family is complete. All I wanted was a boy and a girl, so we got it.”
Copyright 2025 WOWT. All rights reserved.