By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
You don't achieve the level of success that Washburn University's Justice Akinmoladun has enjoyed in football and track and field without setting the bar high.
Junior defensive tackle Justice Akinmoladun represented Washburn's football team at Tuesday's MIAA Football Media Day in Kansas City, Mo.
And as the 6-foot, 290-pound defensive tackle prepares to start his junior football season, Akinmoladun won't settle for anything less than being the best this fall.
"All-American, first team,'' Akinmoladun said when asked about his goals for the 2023 season. "I want to be first-team everything. I will be the best D-lineman in D-II.in the nation.''
Already an All-American thrower in track and field, Akinmoladun is also one of the top defensive returners for the Ichabod football team, which is coming off a 7-4 season.
Akinmoladun is one of just three returning starters on defense for Washburn, but said he is confident that the Ichabods have the talent to be strong on the defensive side of the ball again this season.
"That's the good thing about having good players last year is we had good players under them, too, who were able to see what they did to be great,'' said Akinmoladun, a native of Grandview, Mo. "We have a lot of good guys coming in who have been working their butt off this whole summer so I'm not worried.
"We're just a young group, but I think we're ready to go.''
After playing in 10 games with eight starts a year ago, Akinmoladun will try to lead by example this fall.
"The whole team can be leaders, the whole defense can be leaders,'' Akinmoladun said. "But if I'm needed to take that step I will. I believe we just need to feed off each other to be great.''
Solid over his first two seasons at Washburn, Akinmoladun thinks he's ready to take another step forward this fall, beginning with the Ichabods' season-opener on Aug. 31 at Pittsburg State, the defending MIAA champion.
"I'm way more comfortable with the game,'' Akinmoladun said. "I'm not over-thinking any more and I'm physically ready, mentally ready and that's come from the years of playing and those reps that have really helped me become the player that I'm going to be this season.''
Akinmoladun is coming off a huge track and field season in the spring, earning second-team All-American honors in the shot put while establishing a Washburn record at 58 feet, 3.75 inches. He has the five best throws in school history in that event.
"There's no time off (between football and track), but it makes me stay on my feet and be active,'' he said. "I appeciate coach (Daniel) Roberts pushing me in football and track.''
