Antoni soaks in freshman year at University of Tennessee

Son of Micronesia, Antoni Kade Aguon Ogumoro, is soaking it all in during his freshman year at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he plays on the offensive line for the football team.

He officially signed with UT on a full scholarship last year after graduating early from Elgin High School in Oklahoma. He was an early enrollee and started college in January.

In an interview during his rest and relaxation back at home in Oklahoma during their bye week, the 18-year-old said his college career has been going well so far.

“My college career has been good so far. It’s been a process for sure. [I] got there in January and then off season, just working out. Going into the season, nothing’s really changed. Just trying to change my body, getting in that work, technique, and getting in the field,” he said.

His first time on the gridiron was against East Tennessee State University, and he said that moment was surreal.

“For my first time ever, it was actually a home game… When I went in, it kind of felt unreal just knowing that the family was there too, but all the fans that were there and just being able to play for the first time and actual minutes in the game and just trying to make an impact,” he said. “It was definitely a surreal experience for me because it was like a lot of work leading up to that moment and just me being able to let it all out on the field.”

What he took from his first time playing was, of course, to first soak it all in. After that, it was time to lock in and rewatch the clips to see what he could tweak and improve on in his game.

The team is currently on a bye week and didn’t play, giving Ogumoro the chance to visit home for some rest, relaxation, and this catch-up interview. They have about 13 more games left in the season, and Ogumoro hopes to play more meaningful minutes.

With the season going by so fast, he said his short-term goal is to earn more meaningful minutes on the field. As a freshman, he comes off the bench, but down the line, his long-term goal is to become a starter and solidify his position on the offensive line.

As for his expectations of the school and the program, Ogumoro said, “My expectations when I arrived up there—everything was met and surpassed my expectations, you know. The developmental piece of the plan I had going in there, and the coaches, the strength, conditioning, the school—everything that was told on visits and everything that we expected, it was all there and beyond, so there’s nothing really thought that like, ‘oh man they didn’t deliver on this part.’ So yeah, they met all my expectations.”

On how he copes with being far from home and family, he said, “It’s a change of scenery for me, but I feel like you’re so busy up there—there’s a lot of work that you’re doing up there—classes, football, whatever it is, that it kind of keeps your mind off those things and you’re not really distracted. Obviously, I miss them a lot, but after a week or two, I think I kind of just locked in and said, ‘you know what, I’m going to see them eventually.’”

His mom, Mayumi, shared that she misses him and having him home, but that it’s a fulfilling experience watching him live out his dream in Tennessee. "He worked so hard for so many years to get to where he’s at and he’s still working very hard, so it’s just a very surreal feeling,” she said.

His dad, Ambrose, said their family is proud that Antoni gets to represent and showcase their Micronesian roots—not just the Polynesian roots that have been more commonly recognized in football at that level.

“We’re also teaching them about Micronesia—Saipan, Palau, Marshall Islands. It’s just cool to see that they’re embracing him like, ‘oh, he’s not Polynesian, he’s Micronesian.’ So it’s opening up their geography to know where we’re at. With that said, there’s a big Micronesian community out there in Tennessee, so it’s cool to see that too,” he said.

His parents also offered advice to other parents of student-athletes aspiring to achieve their dreams. “In those hard days where you feel like you can’t do it anymore, just focus on the future and what the main goal is. Speak it into existence and it’ll happen—you just have to stay dedicated to the process,” they said.

Ambrose added, “As parents, just be there for your kid. As they grow up, they’re going to be into different sports, but just find where they’re really good at and continue to engage and try to get them better at whatever sport that they love.”

Antoni’s grandparents are Ambrosio Ogumoro and Felicidad Kaipat Ogumoro of Capitol Hill and Rufino and Carol Aguon of Kagman.

By Leigh Gases