How Jesse Luketa Turned His Childhood Dream of Playing in the NFL Into a Reality

At an early age, Canadian-born Jesse Luketa developed a love of American football. But he had to beg his mother to allow him to play as a kid. Being the youngest of eight to a single mother who immigrated from the Democratic Republic Of Congo, arriving in Canada meant a new opportunity in life. At the age of 10, Jesse began sending letters to schools and agents across the United States expressing his desire to play football at the highest levels. With much dedication, hard work and perseverance, he turned his dreams into reality and today Jesse is a professional gridiron football outside linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals. Jesse was selected by Arizona with the team’s second pick in the seventh round (256th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State. 

We spoke with Jesse about his upbringing, greatest inspiration and how he practices self-care when he’s off the field. 

OBM: Thanks for coming through, Jesse! Congrats on your impressive career so far. Was it always your dream to play in the NFL?

Playing in the NFL was in fact my dream from a very young age. What I understood from the time I was 10, was that there are  limitations to achieving my dreams if I stayed in Canada. At such a young age I understood if I wanted to pursue my aspirations of playing football at the highest collegiate level I would need to make the transition to attending a preparatory school in the United States to level the playing field. In doing so it allowed me the opportunity to grasp the attention of these American institutions and better my chances of achieving my ultimate goal of attending a prestigious institution where I would be able to receive a great education and compete at the highest level!

OBM:  What was your upbringing like growing up in Ottawa, Canada? 

My upbringing was tough, I am no stranger to adversity and that is because I was fortunate enough to have a village of supporters as a backbone throughout my journey. Being the youngest of eight to a single mother who immigrated from the Democratic Republic Of Congo arriving in Canada meant a new opportunity at life. Watching my Mother who I refer to as my Rock struggle financially to ensure we were all taken care of was something I will never forget. Her struggles fuelled me on & off the field to become the man I am today. 

OBM: What advice would you give to young athletes hoping to follow in your footsteps? Any lessons you had to learn the hard way?

The advice I would pass on to young athletes is: No dream is too far or unattainable. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. 

OBM: Who or what do you owe your success to?

I owe my success to my mother. She is the one individual who has taught me what it truly means to sacrifice for the things that mean the most to you. To strive to be a good person and treat others as you’d want to be treated. She chose to flee a war torn country in the Democratic Republic of Congo in hopes of giving my siblings and I a better opportunity at life. The courage and strength she displayed in doing so is something I don’t ever think I’ll be able to emulate. What I can do is strive to be the best version of myself and pay it forward to the next generation of second generation children who have the same ambitions I once had as a child. 

OBM: What does self-care look like for you? When you’re not in the gym or on the field, what do you do to relax?

Spending time with my family, I chose to leave home at a young age to pursue my dreams and aspirations and in doing so I sacrificed time with my loved ones. Whenever I am able to settle myself and give my loved ones that time especially my nieces & nephews it is refreshing.

OBM: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

I see myself in 5 years still playing in the national football league, playing at a high level continuing to be an inspiration for the next generation of Canadian athletes looking to pursue their dreams of competing at the highest level in sports!

OBM: It was a pleasure speaking with you. Have a great season! Where can our readers keep up with you?

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to share my story. Readers can keep up with me on Instagram-Twitter @OttawasVeryOwn