WASHINGTON (February 8, 2024) - Watching Howard University graduate left tackle Anim Dankwah (Ontario, Canada) ruthlessly push around defenders and move gracefully while providing dynamite pass protection for his quarterback and opening holes for his running backs, no one would have ever guessed that he has not played football for long.
 
Fast forward nine years later.
 
Dankwah is an elite NFL (National Football League) prospect, who was set to represent the Bison in the 99^th annual East-West Shrine Classic in Frisco, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 1. He remembers being in the Howard training room surrounded by a few teammates preparing for the Celebration Bowl when he got the phone call.
 
His invite to this contest is another accolade for Dankwah, who never imagined this type of success when he started playing football in Toronto, Canada as a high school freshman. In addition, Dankwah received an invitation to the NFL Combine, which will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from Thursday, Feb. 29 to Sunday, March 3. 

The story of how Dankwah began the sport is something out of a novel.
 
Participating in a new student scavenger hunt at the Taft School, Dankwah had to find out where the athletics office was in his new place. He eventually found what he sought, and the coach identified a treasure. The rest is history.
 
"My high school football coach said you are big, and you should try out for the football team, Dankwah said. "I literally had to find out what football was. I was trying to learn the rules of football. The coach then asked me to get into a stance, and from there, I was on the team."
 
"The team was good, and one of the players I played with, Josh Palmer, is now with the San Diego Chargers. We had another player get drafted by the Canadian Football League. Even though I did not know football, I am the type of person who wants to be good at anything I do." 

Learning football was easier for Dankwah than adjusting to a new country.
 
When he was nine years old, Dankwah flew 16 hours solo with a stop in Dubai from his native Ghana to Canada to live with his dad, Yaw. Not only did Dankwah have to meet new friends and get used to unfamiliar surroundings, but he also had to adjust to the colder weather, which did not initially agree with him.
 
"I remember the first two weeks, I begged my dad to take me back," Dankwah said. "I did not want to be here. It was cold in Canada, but Ghana was more social and warmer. I would go to school, drop my stuff off at home, go outside to play soccer, tag, fly a kite, and do just random outdoor activities. It took a couple of years to get adjusted." 

As Dankwah developed into a coveted collegiate prospect, he unfortunately learned that being an international student came with some challenges regarding the NCAA Eligibility Clearinghouse. It became frustrating, and he fell behind in recruiting because schools had few scholarships to offer.
 
Dankwah almost did the unthinkable: quit.

Then, he realized that word was not in his vocabulary.
 
"I was at a low point," Dankwah said. "I told my parents I did not want to play in college. Then, the former coach at Howard called me the day after I got cleared and asked me to visit Howard. It was the first school that offered me, and I knew this was a good place where I was meant to be. I realize God does things for a reason, and I appreciate it because Howard was a resource when I needed it." 

Dankwah is also loyal, which has been his strongest trait while at Howard.
 
He knew brighter days were ahead for the Bison despite the struggles of the first three years in which Howard won five combined games. Despite being on the receiving end of many lopsided scores, Dankwah had zero thoughts of transferring. He believed if he kept working hard, trusting his teammates, and remaining positive, Howard would enjoy success.
 
The last two years have been a different story for Howard. The Bison have won consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships. One of the best moments was Howard's rout of rival North Carolina Central, 50-20, on national television last November. 

"We owed Howard to turn things around," Dankwah said. "I knew we were capable of doing it. Plus, I felt uncomfortable leaving Howard when we struggled because my legacy meant something to me. To go out as a two-time champion is a perfect ending because we were all here for the bad days. It's satisfying because we came a long way."
 
Dankwah is satisfied because he put the work in when no one was looking aside from his teammates. He developed into a leader and completed blocking, running, and weight-lifting drills with precision and purpose. Also, elevating Dankwah's game was studying more film than a movie critic.
 
That work led to plenty of postseason honors. Dankwah earned a spot on the All-MEAC First Team for the second consecutive year and named to the BOXTOROW 2023 HBCU College Football All-America Team after anchoring the conference's top offense, averaging nearly 384 yards per game. 

He credits his offensive line coaches Kris Sweet, Brandon Torrey, Arthur Ray, strength coach Lucas Lopez, and head coach Larry Scott for helping him develop during his Howard career. Interestingly, Dankwah's coach in the Shrine Bowl is former New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Jhari Evans, who played at Division II Bloomsburg. 

The East-West Shrine Bowl is a best-in-class all-star event that will take place at the Dallas Cowboys Facility. Players are coached by NFL coaches, in an NFL facility, and will have access to NFL-level resources, facilities, player-friendly schedules and opportunities at the highest level. 

"In the back of my mind, I knew I was getting NFL looks," Dankwah said. "Yet, that was not important to me. Staying focused on what we could accomplish as a team and setting a good example mattered. It was less about me. My success will come along with the team's success. Everything else follows when you are focused on winning as a team."
 
Dankwah is looking forward to the next phase of his life when he expects to play football on Sunday afternoons for a living, blocking for some of the best quarterbacks in the world. 

"I have always believed if you give something your all and it does not work out, or you do not get results you are seeking, at least you can hold your head up high knowing you gave your best," Dankwah said. "Howard has been full of many successful people in many areas. Just to say you went to Howard, it is a major flex. Howard is special, and there is a certain pride in attending an HBCU."
 
Imagine that you not only went to Howard but graduated with a bachelor's degree in criminology and strategic & legal communications while helping the football team win consecutive championships, playing in the Celebration Bowl, competing in the Shrine Classic and getting invited to the NFL Combine.
 
That is the ultimate flex.

Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Athletics Hall of Fame, Knox currently serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by College Sports Communicators (CSC) with the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award and the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA).
 

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.