Tobi Oyedeji, a Nigerian power forward
slated to begin his collegiate career at
Texas A&M next season, died in the US on
Sunday due to injuries sustained in a car
accident. Early reports suggest Oyedeji was
driving a car involved in a two-vehicle
accident in which one other person was
killed.
Oyedeji played high school ball in Bellaire,
Texas, and made the All-Greater Houston
team last season as a senior. He was
considered a top-100 recruit in his class.
Rivals ranked him as the No. 18 power
forward in the class of 2010.
“The world has lost a great kid today
(Sunday),” said Texas A&M coach Mark
Turgeon in a statement on Oyedeji‘s tragic
death.
“Tobi epitomised the term student-athlete.
He was a very good student. He worked
hard in the classrooms and on the
basketball court and he was a terrific
basketball player. This is difficult to
understand and today is a very sad day.
My heart aches for his mom and dad. Tobi
was an only child and I would like
everyone to pray for Tobi ‘s parents.”
Another account of his death says Oyedeji
dropped his last friend off after prom
night, called his father Kunle Oyedeji and
told him he was on his way home early
Sunday morning. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound,
18-year-old power forward, who was
destined to be an impact player for Texas
A&M in the fall and committed to studying
engineering, never made it to his house.
He was in a head-on collision shortly after
the phone call home and died after
attempts at life-saving surgery weren ‘t
successful Sunday afternoon.
Hal Pastner, who runs Houston Hoops, an
AAU program Oyedeji played for, was
crushed as well when he was told the news
on Sunday afternoon. Turgeon said Oyedeji
was the first player he recruited when he
took the job three years ago. ”This has
been a three-year relationship, we were
really close, ” Turgeon said.
“From the first day he came to our camp, I
knew he was coming to Texas A&M. He was
going to be an engineer. This was the
perfect place for him. ”
Turgeon last saw Oyedeji at a workout in
April and said he told his assistant coaches
that Oyedeji was going to help the Aggies
quite a bit next season. Oyedeji had been
on campus apparently five to seven times a
season in the past three years.
“He was going to be a big part of our
program,” Turgeon said. “More than just
basketball, his personality, his character, he
would have helped us in so many ways. ”
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