From terrifying nightmares and no college offers to first-round NFL Draft projections, former Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Akheem Mesidor's resilience fuels a remarkable football journey.
The NFL Draft is a day away and the football world has a great understanding of Akheem Mesidor’s talents. He was a dominant edge rusher recently for the Miami Hurricanes, coming off a career college season: 63 total tackles, 38 solos and 25 assists, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles in 15 games started. Mesidor was named First Team All-ACC, Sporting News All-America Second Team, and was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, which went to teammate and star edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
Before the fame and on-field action, the Canadian native grew up facing adversity and uncertainty. On Tuesday, TSN Sports released a mini-documentary about Mesidor’s journey from a player with no college offers to a projected NFL first-round selection.
The film started with the 25-year-old’s diagnosis of a sleep disorder.
“I don’t remember the dreams I had,” he said. “Only the nightmares.”
Mesidor described being in the forest during the night and running. He believed it meant trying to escape real-life circumstances. Mesidor grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, raised primarily by his single mother, Carole Richard. She mentioned how difficult it was to take care of the highly-touted prospect, along with six other children, at one point working three jobs.
The sleeping disorder presented a bigger challenge as Mesidor was the second-youngest child in Canada to be diagnosed with the condition. Richard mentioned how social services attempted to take Mesidor away from her due to related injuries, including an accident in a pool.
“It was so scary,” she said. “The days that I knew he’s not going to have a good day, he was kicking all night because of how aggressive he was. People said, ‘[Akheem] is walking with a chip on his shoulder. He would never end up anywhere. He would crash.’”
During a hospital visit, Richard was recommended to include Mesidor in sports. After finding football and playing on defense, he became unrecognizable.
“The Beast.”
Mesidor began to emerge on the football scene while on the North Gloucester Giants.
“It was football or nothing,” he said.
Despite having little NFL ambitions, Mesidor played with great intensity. However, colleges weren’t lining up with offers due to physical concerns. As everyone else around him was earning opportunities, Mesidor lost hope and decided to leave the game of football. He wound up working at a Domino's Pizza, where Gridiron Academy founder and head coach Victor Tedondo found a struggling young man.
“I know this behavior is not you,” he told Mesidor. “My goal here is to make sure that you go on and be an independent adult. I know you can do better. All you have to do is put your head down and work.”
Mesidor returned to football and gave it everything, including in the weight room. He wound up securing an offer from the West Virginia Mountaineers and played two seasons with the program before entering the transfer portal and finding a home in South Florida.
The move didn’t only mean a new home for Mesidor, farther away from Canada, but it marked the start of a connection between him and Jason Taylor. The Hurricanes originally hired the Pro Football Hall of Famer as a defensive analyst ahead of the 2022 season, the same time when the then redshirt sophomore joined the program. Taylor understood what it meant to be underestimated.
“I had one college offer coming out of high school,” he said. “Was always told I was too small to play in the NFL. I had a big a– chip on my shoulder.”
Ahead of the 2025 season, there was little buzz surrounding Mesidor as Bain Jr. took most of the attention.
“I had high expectations for myself,” he said. “Everybody else in the country or in the world didn’t. My goal was to change that every day, every night, I’m [going] to wake everybody up.”
Mesidor proved to be a dominant force on the field, wreaking havoc among opposing offensive linemen and quarterbacks. As the NFL Draft approaches, several organizations are looking at him to be a fit for the team. Despite late age and injury history, Mesidor is still projected to be a first-round selection. He would be the fifth Canadian to be called within the top-32 picks.
The highly-touted prospect will not be in attendance at the event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He will likely spend the cherished moment in Canada, to be close to family and friends.
A new chapter is being written for Mesidor, leaving a significant imprint on the Hurricanes' history.
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our RoundTable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
More Miami Hurricanes News: