Elon University athlete returns to his love of football

It was 6 a.m. in a windowless basement gym tucked beneath a London student residence. While classmates slept upstairs, Tkai Wade lifted, ran and sweated in solitude. A week earlier, he’d made the Elon University football team. Now, across the Atlantic Ocean in the dead of winter, he refused to let the momentum slip.

As a multi-sport athlete in high school, Wade eventually had to choose which path to follow at the next level. On the track, he thrived, lettering all four years and even becoming a Junior Olympic champion. While both football and track opened doors, the academic and athletic balance University of Louisville offered through track ultimately outweighed his football options at the time.

“My favorite sport to play is football,” Wade said. “But with my stature, my size, and overall exposure, I didn’t have as many opportunities in football as in track.” 

After spending two years studying engineering and running track at Louisville, Wade found the experience falling short of what he’d hoped for. His first year in 2021 was defined by the isolation of the pandemic and online classes and he knew he needed a change of scenery by the end of his sophomore year.

Wade found that change of scenery at Elon in 2023 which according to him had everything he valued like smaller class sizes, walkable layout and a more personal academic experience. With no men’s track team, the door also quietly opened for something else. An opportunity to return to the sport he loved most, football.

He arrived on campus with a goal of earning a spot on the football team and was willing to do whatever it took. Wade immediately went to the football offices to introduce himself to the coaching staff and express his interest. That initiative paid off, opening a door to an opportunity sooner than he expected. 

While Wade was speaking with the coaches, a member of the team’s video staff overheard the conversation and mentioned the team was looking for help filming practices and games. He asked Wade if he might be interested, a chance that turned out to be the perfect way to stay close to the team and learn its system from the inside.

To start his next year at Elon, Wade arrived on campus early, meeting players before the season began and building connections. Once the season kicked off, he traveled with the team, getting his first real taste of life as a college football player.

Wade said seeing the game from the other side gave him a deeper appreciation for football and only fueled his desire to earn a spot on the team. 

“It just made me want to play the game even more,” Wade said.

Wade’s mother, Connie, said Wade's knowledge of football grew while being in the role.

“He has a very detailed knowledge of the game,” Connie said. “He usually can tell the play before it’s happening.”

After the 2024 season ended, Wade finally got his shot to try out for the team. Wade said he was nervous because he hadn’t played organized football in years but determined to prove he still had it. He returned home to Texas to train, sharpen his speed and reconnect with the game he loved.

Tryout day didn’t come without its setbacks. During the 5-10-5 drill, an agility test used to assess an athlete’s ability to change direction quickly, Wade slipped on the grass, a surface he wasn’t accustomed to after years of playing on turf in Texas. But he bounced back, nailed his second attempt, and showed the coaches exactly what they needed to see.

Wade was granted a spot on the team after a successful tryout and made sure his mother was the first person to know.

Just after earning his spot in the fall, Wade left for a monthlong study abroad class in London, an opportunity he couldn’t pass up, but one that set him slightly behind as teammates began picking jersey numbers and starting offseason workouts.

Diving into practice just three days after returning from London was no easy task.

“It was definitely tiring the first few practices, confusing because I didn’t know the protocol,” Wade said. “But everybody was welcoming and they were genuine and they kind of gave me some time to acclimate.”

During the spring Wade was also pledging Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., a demanding process on its own adding to his already stretched out schedule. Now with spring ball behind him and his fraternity membership official, he turns his focus to his final year at Elon.

Wade is listed as a cornerback on the roster, a position he’s still learning after playing mostly wide receiver in high school. It’s yet another challenge, but one he’s eager to tackle. He knows what it takes to succeed and is determined to make an impact this coming season.

“Dedication and intensity have always been there,” Connie said.

While Wade is committed to getting the most out of his football journey, he doesn’t let the sport define who he is.

“I want to be remembered as a person, student and then athlete,” Wade said.

For Wade, football is just one part of the story, a way to grow, compete, and connect, but it’s not the whole picture.

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