NFL running back Jay Ajayi has signed a contract with the Philadelphia Union to join the club’s eMLS team as a pro FIFA esports player for the 2020 season. Ajayi is currently an NFL free agent but has spent the past three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
He will be the sole gamer to represent the Union in eMLS this season, which begins with the eMLS League Series One tournament on Jan. 10 in Philadelphia. He’s replacing Cormac ‘Doolsta’ Dooley, who won all three eMLS tournaments last season before joining the gaming affiliate of expansion club Nashville SC in October.
Ajayi, 26, grew up as an avid soccer fan in London and regularly plays the FIFA video game on streaming platforms such as the Copa 90s FIFA & Chill series, according to a press release. The eMLS is entering its third season and has expanded to have 25 teams. Each team represents an MLS club and consists of one pro FIFA player. The season will again be divided into three esports tournaments.
“Philadelphia holds a special place in my heart so I am blessed to be able to represent the city in the esports realm and to become one of the first pro athletes to become a professional gamer. It combines two of my passions, soccer and gaming,” Ajayi said in a statement. “I’m a competitor, so you’re going to see me give my all for the Union at every eMLS event this year.”
Whether or not the running back remains interested in signing with an NFL team in 2020 is uncertain. The best season of Ajayi’s six-year NFL career came in 2016, when he rushed for 1,272 yards with the Miami Dolphins to earn Pro Bowl honors. He also won Super Bowl LII the following season as a member of the Eagles.
