PROVO — Few BYU football players have had better backstories than defensive back Dayan Ghanwoloku.
Even fewer have made bigger impacts in their careers as Cougars.
Ghanwoloku, who was known as Dayan Lake when he entered the program five years ago out of Layton’s Northridge High, could represent BYU’s best hope to have a player selected in this weekend’s NFL draft.
“Although prospects aren’t great for guys not invited to the combine, especially this year, I have had 15 teams call me about Dayan in the last three days,” Utah-based agent Evan Brennan said on April 9. “I don’t think he is going to get drafted, but he will be a highly sought after PFA (priority free agent).”
At BYU, the three-star prospect changed his last name to honor his uncle, the late Gayvelor Ghanwoloku and the man most responsible for getting him to the United States.
He became one of the best safeties in school history, joining the likes of Kai Nacua, Andrew Rich, Daniel Sorensen, Aaron Francisco, Craig Bills and Derwin Gray — while also playing cornerback when he was needed there.
Before his time at BYU, Ghanwoloku escaped the war-torn West African country of Liberia and came to Utah when he was 5 years old and his sister, Yassah, was just 7. They were raised in Ogden by their stepmother, whom they had never met before landing in Salt Lake City.
“I have gone through hardships and made it this far. I have graduated from BYU (in sociology),” Ghanwoloku said. “I have overcome a lot of setbacks. This coronavirus thing isn’t going to stop me from reaching my goals. Yeah, there are bumps in the road, but I just feel like I will make it, regardless, because that’s just what I do. I have to be the best me.”
After Ghanwoloku posted a laser-timed 4.41-second run in the 40-yard dash — which would have tied him for second among safeties had he been invited to the NFL scouting combine — interest picked up considerably, Brennan said.
He posted times of 4.25 seconds in the shuttle run and 6.85 in the three-cone drill, marks that also would have put him in the top five in Indianapolis.
He made 207 tackles, intercepted seven passes and forced seven fumbles while appearing in 48 games over his four-year career at BYU, while also shining on special teams.
“Doing my thing on special teams is important to me because that is the plus-one right there, the thing that will help me out and set me apart.” — BYU safety Dayan Ghanwoloku
“Doing my thing on special teams is important to me because that is the plus-one right there, the thing that will help me out and set me apart,” Ghanwoloku said.
He forced and recovered a fumble in the NFLPA Bowl in January.
Ghanwoloku, who was more of a soccer player and a soccer fan growing up, said his favorite NFL team is probably the Philadelphia Eagles because that was his late uncle’s favorite team. His favorite player is the Honey Badger — Tyrann Mathieu of the Kansas City Chiefs.