Where Are They Now? Tobi Adewole
3/26/2020 9:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
Former Colonial has overcome long odds to reach fourth pro soccer season
Tobi Adewole's path in pro soccer is fit for a storybook.
Invited to train with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of USL as a trialist in 2017, Adewole made the most of his opportunity to earn a place on the roster. The former GW defender claimed a spot in the starting lineup in his second year before following with his best season yet in 2019 to help the Riverhounds set a club record for wins and finish atop the Eastern Conference regular season standings.
Adewole's dynamic skillset, continued growth and infectious personality stoked his rise from little-known prospect to fan favorite and veteran leader.
"At the end of the day, if you perform well, you'll get noticed by someone," Adewole said. "That, in my mindset, is just being persistent, always working even if you're not being recognized. I really believe the harder you work, the better you'll play, and hopefully, you'll get recognized at the right moment."
Adewole is sticking with that attitude as he takes on his latest challenge with Saint Louis FC.
The 24-year-old from Ashton, Md., evaluated his options before signing in February. He's excited about the chance to help his new club make the climb up the USL Championship table.
"Everything's different," Adewole said. "It's a different city, different state, different everything. When I was getting recruited to come in, I liked the coach, I liked the organization's message.
"It's a great group of players that I feel can accomplish something great here. I just thought that I could take my career in another direction, and this is a great place to do it."
Adewole put together a decorated career in Buff and Blue, starting 61 of the 64 games he played from 2013-2016. A two-time A-10 All-Conference Second Team pick, he was part of a backline that set a program record with nine clean sheets during his senior season in 2016.
Adewole's time as a Colonial laid the foundation for him to be ready for his tryout in Pittsburgh. Since then, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound defender has kept pushing forward, using his size and strength in the box to make a difference at the next level.
"I would say (my game's) pretty similar, just everything's leveled up," said Adewole, who logged 3,050 minutes over 35 games with a pair of goals last season in Pittsburgh. "Similar in how I want to play but just being cleaner with my touches, on the ball and just growing as a player technically and obviously vocally as well."
After playing three seasons in the same system, Adewole spent the preseason getting used to his new surroundings and building rapport with a veteran group. Saint Louis FC opened the regular season March 7 with a 4-1 home win over Miami FC before USL Championship suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Right now, Adewole is trying to make the best of a tough situation and figure out how to stay ready while social distancing.
That's meant daily games of soccer tennis with teammates on the court at his apartment complex to keep his touch, plus makeshift workouts without access to a gym. He's done a lot of hiking to explore the outskirts of his new city and get fresh air. ("I live right near the mountains," he said with a chuckle. "It's very dope.")
It's merely the latest challenge for a guy who has overcome long odds to build a solid pro career.
"I'm doing what I can to stay after it, stay fit, so that when we get the chance, we can hit the ground running," Adewole said. "We had a good win to start off the season, and we definitely want to come out with the same fire and keep the ball rolling. At the end of the day, every team is going through this, so you can't really make excuses."
Invited to train with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of USL as a trialist in 2017, Adewole made the most of his opportunity to earn a place on the roster. The former GW defender claimed a spot in the starting lineup in his second year before following with his best season yet in 2019 to help the Riverhounds set a club record for wins and finish atop the Eastern Conference regular season standings.
Adewole's dynamic skillset, continued growth and infectious personality stoked his rise from little-known prospect to fan favorite and veteran leader.
"At the end of the day, if you perform well, you'll get noticed by someone," Adewole said. "That, in my mindset, is just being persistent, always working even if you're not being recognized. I really believe the harder you work, the better you'll play, and hopefully, you'll get recognized at the right moment."
Adewole is sticking with that attitude as he takes on his latest challenge with Saint Louis FC.
The 24-year-old from Ashton, Md., evaluated his options before signing in February. He's excited about the chance to help his new club make the climb up the USL Championship table.
"Everything's different," Adewole said. "It's a different city, different state, different everything. When I was getting recruited to come in, I liked the coach, I liked the organization's message.
"It's a great group of players that I feel can accomplish something great here. I just thought that I could take my career in another direction, and this is a great place to do it."
Adewole put together a decorated career in Buff and Blue, starting 61 of the 64 games he played from 2013-2016. A two-time A-10 All-Conference Second Team pick, he was part of a backline that set a program record with nine clean sheets during his senior season in 2016.
Adewole's time as a Colonial laid the foundation for him to be ready for his tryout in Pittsburgh. Since then, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound defender has kept pushing forward, using his size and strength in the box to make a difference at the next level.
"I would say (my game's) pretty similar, just everything's leveled up," said Adewole, who logged 3,050 minutes over 35 games with a pair of goals last season in Pittsburgh. "Similar in how I want to play but just being cleaner with my touches, on the ball and just growing as a player technically and obviously vocally as well."
After playing three seasons in the same system, Adewole spent the preseason getting used to his new surroundings and building rapport with a veteran group. Saint Louis FC opened the regular season March 7 with a 4-1 home win over Miami FC before USL Championship suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Right now, Adewole is trying to make the best of a tough situation and figure out how to stay ready while social distancing.
That's meant daily games of soccer tennis with teammates on the court at his apartment complex to keep his touch, plus makeshift workouts without access to a gym. He's done a lot of hiking to explore the outskirts of his new city and get fresh air. ("I live right near the mountains," he said with a chuckle. "It's very dope.")
It's merely the latest challenge for a guy who has overcome long odds to build a solid pro career.
"I'm doing what I can to stay after it, stay fit, so that when we get the chance, we can hit the ground running," Adewole said. "We had a good win to start off the season, and we definitely want to come out with the same fire and keep the ball rolling. At the end of the day, every team is going through this, so you can't really make excuses."
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