Illinois junior linebacker Kenenna Odeluga will host the second annual Afro-Tailgate during the Fighting Illini's Homecoming contest against Central Michigan on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Featuring food, music, and more, the Afro-Tailgate serves as an opportunity to take part in a cultural experience and enjoy a college football game in a safe, welcoming setting.
"When my dad and I first learned about the tailgate experience, we realized that many times, the tailgate experience is just as important as the game and the full experience of a whole football outing. After realizing that, we wanted to find a way to reach minorities," Odeluga said. "We wanted to find a way to reach people who have not been able to experience that for themselves or were not brought up in it. We also wanted to add a little bit of our own culture and flair to it, so that is how the Afro-Tailgate was born.
"This cultural understanding is second nature to many people, but for many immigrant, first-generation, or minority students, especially from the African Diaspora, it's a novel idea only grasped by those who have experienced it. To bridge the gap between football culture and Afro-Caribbean culture, we created a tailgate section where we would eat authentic African dishes and drinks. The turnout was amazing, and we want to make this a recurring event for all to enjoy."
Last year, Odeluga was able to sponsor over 60 tickets for on-campus RSO groups; people from his hometown in South Holland, Illinois; and members of his church. After the game, Odeluga joined the group for some good music, good food, and good conversations.
Hoping to expand and grow the tailgate this time around, Odeluga wants to create a cultural experience for anyone interested in attending.
"College football brings everyone together. Every race, gender, culture, ethnicity: Everyone comes to watch a football game, so the tailgate experience is that culmination," Odeluga said.
"It's a place where people are able to have some time to themselves and create traditions that, many times, become more important than the actual outcome of the football game. That is something that we have discovered, and we want to emphasize and build on that in a way that allows people who are not too familiar with it to come out and have an experience that is comfortable for them while going out to a football game.
"After all, one thing that we are very aware of is that football is part of American culture, so if we are able to bring people into that and allow them to have that shared tradition, that shared talking point, and that shared love, it's going to make all of us better together."
Odeluga recognizes the importance of using his platform as a college football student-athlete to give back and make an impact. Raised by parents who are both pastors, Odeluga grew up surrounded by the values of selflessness and community service.
Whether it was collecting items for mission trips or giving medicine to people in the community, Odeluga knew he wanted to continue implementing those values even after leaving home and starting college.
"I saw the importance of it early on. As I was growing up, I was able to find different ways to act upon it in ways that were true to myself," Odeluga said. "Since coming to college, that has been something that I have been much more intentional about, and it's something in which I do my best. If I am going to do it, I am going to do it well. It's something I grew up learning about, grew up knowing, and am glad I am starting to fulfill in my own right now."Â
A 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team nominee, Odeluga served a mission trip to Africa in the summer of 2023 and attended the Black Student-Athlete Summit this summer in Los Angeles. Among the many things Odeluga has done in the Champaign-Urbana community, he has visited the Carle Foundation Hospital to meet babies and children of all ages who deal with various sicknesses or diseases, volunteered to help build a garden at the Salvation Army, and worked with DREAAM for the organization's community service event by playing with the kids and helping with other parts of the event.
Odeluga is also a co-leader for EMPOWER, a student-athlete affinity group that uplifts and provides a safe space for student-athletes of color at the University of Illinois within the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics.
For his work on campus and in the community, Odeluga was named to the 2024 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy preseason watch list, an award that annually honors college football student-athletes who make an impact on the field, in the community, and in the classroom.
"It's an honor to be recognized," Odeluga said. "It's something that you don't really expect. You don't go into it looking for someone to give you a prize; it's something you get rewarded for by committing an act and knowing you did your good deed for the day. Even if you don't win it, you know that the work and the things that you do in the community, some people have seen it, have recognized it, and can probably help pour into it more. For me, I'm glad to be considered, but it's not what drives me. I'm just honored that I was able to be on the list."
Odeluga invites individuals of all ages and backgrounds to join him and his family for this year's Afro-Tailgate, which he hopes will provide a welcoming space for those in the community who come from a similar background as himself.
"We're really trying to get the word out to people who might be interested in attending," Odeluga said. "Anyone can come to it. It's a cultural experience. If it's not something you know a lot about, come and experience it. It's a really cool proposition. We're just trying to get the word out and get as many people as we can to come."
