On August 19, 2025, at the Pleasantville High School stadium, Greyhound receiver Sekou Toure, 14, , Semaj Dozier, 16, seen here at practice getting ready for the upcoming season.
Mike McGarry
PLEASANTVILLE -- Coach Elijah Glover of the Pleasantville High School says when it comes to football Sekou Toure is not your average 14-year-old.
He makes plays well beyond his years.
As if on cue at Tuesday's preseason practice, Sekou reached out to make a one-handed catch during a drill.
"Just like that," Glover said with a laugh.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound wide receiver and outside linebacker has yet to play a high school game. He will make his debut when Pleasantville opens the season at Salem on Aug. 29 at 3:30 p.m.
But Sekou already has four NCAA Division I scholarship offers, from Rutgers, Miami, Syracuse and Temple.
'I'm very excited," Sekou said. "We're going to have a good team this year. I feel great about the (college offers). Now that I'm in high school, and I can play more, I hope I can wrack up some more offers."
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In addition to his talent, Sekou probably merits scholarship offers based on his family tree. He is the youngest of eight children and currently has three older brothers playing college football.
Mohamed Toure, a 2019 Pleasantville graduate, earned national recognition at linebacker for Rutgers University and this season is playing his final season of college football at Miami.
Famah Toure, a 2023 Irvington High School graduate, was primed this fall to have a big junior season at wide receiver at Rutgers, but he will miss the season with an injury that occurred in the spring game.
Vaboue, a 2024 Irvington graduate, is a redshirt freshman defensive back at Penn State.
"It's nice," Sekou said of being the youngest. "I can ask them for advice."
Sekou remembers playing pickup football games with his brothers and cousins in the backyard of his Pleasantville home. The Toures have plenty of family in North Jersey. One of the Toure cousins, Kemoko Turay, starred at Rutgers and Barringer High School in Newark and played in the NFL from 2018-2024 with the Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers.
Sekou said he talks to Mohamed every day.
"He calls me every day and asks if I'm doing extra work," Sekou said. "He's always pushing me. I feel great about it. If (my brothers) weren't looking out for me, I probably wouldn't be where I am now."
Glover, who was Mohamed's teammate at Pleasantville and graduated in the same class, said Sekou reminds him of Mohamed.
"When he gets comfortable with you, his (personality) comes out," Glover said. "They (Sekou and Mohamed) know how to turn it on."
Glover said Sekou doesn't need to be told something more than once.
"He's a fast learner," the coach said. "You tell him once and it clicks. He looks like he's been doing it for years."
Sekou doesn't look like an average freshman. He has the speed to run past defenders and the size to overwhelm them. It's also hard not to envision him being 6-5 and 225 pounds when he's a senior.
"He's 6-4 with big hands," junior quarterback Semaj Dozier said. "He can go up and get the ball at any time. I feel like he's going to make a lot of plays for us this year."
Sekou probably could have attended any number of private or public high schools. He chose to go to Pleasantville, a few minutes from where he lives with his mom, Mawata, and dad, Abo.
"I wanted to come here because (Glover) is the head coach," Sekou said. "He will push me to do better and make better plays."
Glover said: "He's just setting the tone for what we're trying to do: keep kids home."
Sekou is not cocky. But he has a quiet confidence. He knows he's good, describing himself as a versatile player who likes both offense and defense.
Sekou admits he feels some pressure as this season begins.
"Of course, I'm going to feel pressure," he said. "I'm an incoming freshman with four (scholarship) offers. But I embrace it."
He smiles when asked who's the best player in the family?
"Right now?" he said followed by a few seconds' pause. "I'm going to say me. I have the most potential, and I'm going to be the best."
Contact: 609-272-7209
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