True freshman transfers to New Mexico State

True freshman at LBCC, Paul Kouame, after many offers, has decided to transfer from Long Beach City to New Mexico State. 

“It was kind of crazy ‘cause like I’m a true freshman, I’m playing at 17. I was just out there… Just trying to play ball and stuff… I was confident… I knew I could ball, and I knew I had what it takes to play at the next level,” Kouame said.

Kouame is a defensive edge who played in all 10 games, recording 34 tackles on the season, with his biggest game coming in the win against Santa Barbara, where he had 4 tackles.

After the season ended, Kouame won LBCC freshman of the year and earned second-team all-conference honors. 

“Well, I started playing football really my freshman year of high school.. I started playing – late,” Kouame said.

Kouame started at Poly, a known powerhouse in Long Beach high school football teams, before he transferred to Lawndale, where he got to play with his cousin Enzo-Pierre Tayou, a defensive lineman who also went to LBCC. 

Along with the offer from New Mexico State, Kouame also received offers from the University of Texas, UNLV, University of New Mexico, Idaho University, and others. 

_{Vikings Defensive End Paul Kouame who is committed to the University of New Mexico poses leaning on a practice dummy while resting on a football looking to the distance at Long Beach City Colleges Veterans Stadium on May 12. (Alexandra Rios)}

Tayou is a defensive lineman who also went to LBCC and helped NMSU find out about Kouame.

“We weren’t looking for a guy and then we had the spot come open, one of his family members, who’s also a player for us here, he (Tayou) brought Paul to my attention,” defensive coordinator Joe Morris said. 

Morris also talked about why Kouame would be a good addition to the team. 

“Paul seems like the type of guy that can come here, develop his body a little more and grow in terms of football. I think, hopefully, if I can give (Kouame) anything, it’s the ability to really stay locked in and worry about the journey more than the destination,” Morris said.

_{Vikings Defensive End Paul Kouame who is committed to the University of New Mexico poses leaning on the base of the goal post at Long Beach City Colleges Veterans Stadium in Long Beach, Calif. (Alexandra Rios)}

When asked why Kouame didn’t go play for one of the biggest football schools in Texas, he talked about the pressure that comes with playing for a school like that. 

“Schools like Texas come with a lot of pressure and stuff and I don’t think I was ready for that. I also like being realistic. I don’t go to schools for the name… Could I, if I went to Texas, would potentially like to go there and balled? Yes, but I like my odds better in New Mexico,” Kouame said. 

Kouame is working on his business degree to eventually own his own chicken wing restaurant. 

“I’m trying to have a good GPA, because at the end of the day, I’m a student athlete, I’m trying to just be, like, the best student,” Kouame said. 

Kouamae is excited to move to New Mexico and get going with head coach Tony Sanchez. 

“I talk to coach Sanchez… and he truly believes I can just be fit for their defense and I can come in and just dominate too,” Kouame said.