USC’s trip to Big Ten Media Days brought plenty of attention to the usual headliners, but Jide Abasiri made sure he had a place in the conversation too.
The Trojans defensive lineman arrived in Chicago looking like a different player, and not just because of his media days outfit or his Instagram handle. The bigger story is the transformed body he’s built this offseason, a change that has turned heads around the program. Lincoln Riley has already praised that work, telling reporters that “he's a guy who does everything right for our program.”
Abasiri, though, wasn’t interested in making a big production out of expectations when he spoke with the Big Ten Network. His message was simple: keep grinding, keep the same approach, and let the work speak for itself.
“I don't really trip too much about expectations and all that. I kind of just do what I do and keep working hard.
I haven't really changed much since I've been here. I've stayed the same path.
I've kept the same routine, same regimen, and it's been working out for me. It's paid dividends.”
He said the goal is to do the best he can, and to stay in a mindset that lets him play freely.
“I would say do the best I can. I just want to play football and perform the best when you're carefree and you're confident in your ability. So that's what I really emphasize.
“My freshman year, I was really hard on myself when I wasn't getting the playing time I wanted to. And I felt like that really stunted my development.
Instead of focusing on my abilities and improvement, I was focused more on playing time. So I think this year will be better to focus on my development, my skills and not focus on the outside noise.”
Abasiri also opened up about the way he handled his body early in his USC career. The routine was straightforward: a protein shake after every meal, and not much concern about what he ate.
“I would just drink a protein shake after every meal. I wasn't really worried too much on what I was eating because whatever I ate, I would just work harder in the weight room to lose it. I just kept the same routine and the same diet.”
His Instagram handle has its own story, too. Abasiri said the “siri” part came from a play on his last name and the word “serious.”
“My last name is Abasiri, so I put "siri" for serious. Everyone was telling me it was corny, and I knew. I thought it was corny too, but since everyone told me it was corny, I kept it.”
He also spoke about what it means to be part of a growing pipeline of Nigerian defensive linemen in the league.
“It’s a really big opportunity. There are a lot of Nigerian defensive linemen in the league.
So being able to join them is a big blessing. A big part of Nigerian culture is education.
My parents really emphasized in me and my brothers growing up. Nigerians have really big genes and really big children.
So I feel like we end up playing football because we're built for it.”
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