BYU’s Elewonibi Is Named Winner of Outland Trophy

Mohammed (Moe) Elewonibi was minding his business, kicking a soccer ball around on the campus of Snow Junior College in Ephraim, Utah, when the football coach wandered by, caught a glimpse of him and led him away.

Two years later, the 6-foot-5, 290-pounder found himself at Brigham Young University and Wednesday he was named winner of the Outland Trophy as the best college lineman in America.

Elewonibi beat out Morris Gardner, junior nose tackle from Illinois and Michael Tanks, senior center from Florida State for the award presented by the Football Writers Assn. of America. He is BYU’s second Outland winner in four years. Jason Buck of the Cincinnati Bengals, won the award in 1986.

Elewonibi, a native of Nigeria who grew up in Kamloops, Canada, never played high school football.

Soccer was his game, but when he got to Snow JC, he had grown large enough to try other things. So he had no hesitation about playing football. His first game was less than a rousing success, however, with Snow losing, 41-7.

Elewonibi had a perfect grade on pass blocking in four games including the last two against Utah and San Diego State and registered an average of 90% for the season as BYU went 10-2, won the Western Athletic Conference championship and gained a berth in the Holiday Bowl.

“Soccer is my first love,” he said. “I was a great soccer player. If I had a choice, my dream would be to play in the World Cup.”