Onu Samuel Ayomide: I Do It For Them

Onu Samuel Ayomide - The Phelps High School - Class of 2021 - Memphis Commit

The road to Memphis was a long one for Onu (known by many as Sam), one that began in Nigeria. With the high poverty and crime rate, his focus was more on survival than having fun.  He didn’t even think about focusing on basketball until his last year there. Like most kids in Lagos he spent the time he had with his friends playing soccer. His developing frame made playing difficult, but his strong footwork eventually helped him on the court.

At fourteen, with basketball in mind, he left his mother, and then ten-year-old brother, John, for the opportunity to build a better life for them. “You can tell it was hard for her to let me go,” he said, “but she knew it was best for my future.” So Ayomide moved to Florida then to Texas. “It was a complicated situation, especially coming here not knowing anyone,” he admitted. When he thought that tough situation would last until college, along came Susan Camden. After speaking with Ayomide’s trainer, Aaron Johnson, she offered to take Onu into her Pennsylvania home in the summer of 2019. At that point, his family grew, adding two more parents, a brother, and three sisters. Gaining a second family was a breath of fresh air. 

Susan and her husband both work in the pharmaceutical industry and are no strangers to raising college athletes in their home.  Their daughters, Meg and Heather, played college lacrosse and their youngest daughter, Anna, played college basketball. Their only son, John, will play alongside Onu at Memphis next season. Not to be confused with Ayomide’s biological brother, his newfound brother, John Camden is described by Onu as one of the hardest workers he knows and has the type of outgoing nature that allows him to fit into any environment. He calls his sisters incredibly caring and sweet. Whether they’re playing cornhole, shooting Tik Tok videos, or just eating some of Susan’s incredible chicken alfredo, he’s grateful to spend every day with them.  He also values his alone time and doing his own thing. Give him some Call of Duty and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups to snack on and he’s set.

“I don’t have to play basketball to be successful and achieve what I wants in life.”

The Camden’s have given Onu a home, a second family, but also ingrained in him the fact that he “doesn’t have to play basketball to be successful and achieve what he wants in life.” That’s why when his basketball career is said and done, he’d like to focus on the import/export business.  

Until then, however, he’s enjoying the ride.  Part of that ride was a “crazy” recruiting trail for the Memphis commit who had “people calling and leaving messages all day.”  He made sure to take his time and listen to everyone attentively before making his decision.  Explaining why he chose the Tigers, Ayomide cited “Coach [Penny] Hardaway’s and [Cody] Toppert’s focus on his development off the court” as much as his development on the court. “For them to want to know more about my birth mom, I knew they cared about me as a person and felt like I could trust them,” he disclosed, “they were relentless and understood me and my family.” 

Despite all the excitement that came with it though, he’s glad the process is over. It made him realize how “important it is to keep people close to you that care about you more as a person than as an athlete.” And those that don’t, he does what he can to remove them from his life. Much of that negative line of thinking comes from social media. “I just do me,” he said, “their opinion doesn’t matter.” He’ll even delete apps if they bring too much pessimism.

He knows that negativity will ramp up at Memphis no matter how he performs on the court. But in the same vein, he knows positivity will come as well and that’s what he’ll focus on.  Either way, he’s ready for the pressure he’s going to face on a bigger stage. “All of my life I’ve dealt with pressure,” says Ayomide, “and handle it well, never fold, and take it head on.” Aside from the heightened competition, he’s excited to meet new people on campus, both teammates and classmates. As chill and laid back as he is, he’s ready to bring the energy to his new home.

He knows that no matter how the next few years of his life go, he’s got the support to get through anything.  It’s the strong women in his life that have been the pillars of his foundation.  He describes his birth mother, Bola, a day-care worker, as his role model. She sacrificed her entire savings to get him to the United States so he can fulfill his potential. Now he has the chance to make her proud. Even though she isn’t nearby, they still talk almost every day. She was there throughout the recruiting process reminding him to choose what makes him happiest.  It’s why he and his American mother, Susan, have such a close relationship. He sees the same intelligent, hardworking, and generous soul that he grew up with all his life.

Onu’s wife, Dominique, a freshman guard at UCLA, is his newest pillar and sounding board.  They met a year ago and married in April, this year. They support each other by talking things through. Being on the recruiting trail right alongside him, they were able to lean on each other. “She told me to do what I want and picture where I can see myself,” he said. Throughout the process he remembered her saying “do what’s best for you.” She fosters an environment for open communication, one that’s vital in a high pressure industry and a marriage.  “She’s always been there for me to help me through tough situations,” he admits.  He tries to avoid stressing over those frustrating situations, whether it’s a bad call by the ref or an upset fan. “You can’t get too mad,” he says, “sometimes you just have to look at them like what’s going on and laugh.”  

When asked about who’s better between him and his wife 1 on 1, he concedes that she’s the better shooter and that he’s smart enough to always make sure they play on the same team when they’re playing pick-up. Knowing that he’ll always have her support on and off the court gives him an even greater drive to succeed.

The next road on that path to success now leads towards Memphis. When he revealed his choice to commit to the Tigers, he said he was “focused, driven, and finally in control of [his] own destiny.” Dominique, however, says he’s so much more, calling him “protective, passionate, caring, and brave.” 

No matter how you label him throughout his journey, there’s one thing for certain: he’s doing it for his family.