Last year we had a lot of fun out there on
the field together.
Were you at all sad at your graduation?
After all, now you are moving on.
It wasn’t sad; it was the next step.
I’m keeping my focus on now. I know
what I want and what will make me
happy, so I’m pursuing it with an
open-minded strategy.
With that strategy in play, Arie
Kouandjio moved with football speed to
the next event in this loaded day. The
10-minute interview was over and done.
There was more challenge ahead to
conquer — to make his family, his native
country, and his alma mater proud.
HOMETOWN: HYATTSVILLE, MARYLAND
ENTERED
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: 2010
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE, FINANCE:
DECEMBER 2013
MASTER'S DEGREE, ECONOMICS:
DECEMBER 2014
CRIMSON TIDE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS:
HE STARTED ALL GAMES HIS SENIOR YEAR, A
TOTAL OF 25 DURING HIS CAREER. HE IS PART
OF THE OFFENSIVE LINE THAT AVERAGED 489.3
YARDS PER GAME, THE MOST YARDS THROUGH
12 GAMES IN SCHOOL HISTORY.
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS:
FOUR-YEAR SEC ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL, CAPITAL
ONE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA
THE
S TAT S
DR. JUNSOO LEE WEIGHS IN
“ARIE HAS PASSION, HIS OWN VISION, AND HE’S MOTIVATED,”
SAYS DR. JUNSOO LEE, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AND RICK AND
ELAINE HORSLEY FACULTY FELLOW. “HE MAY BE LOOKING FOR A JOB
LIKE WORLD BANK OR AN AFRICAN DEVELOPMEN T BANK, BUT IT’S
EARLY TO TELL. HE IS REALLY UNUSUAL. I DON’T SEE MANY
STUDENTS WHO ARE FOCUSED AS MUCH AS HE HAS BEEN. THERE
ARE MANY STUDENTS WHO HAVE COME HERE FROM AFRICA, BUT
THIS ONE IS A FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO IS IN A POSITION TO MAKE
A LOT OF MONE Y. BUT IT'S NOT MONEY HE HAS IN MIND. HE WAN TS
TO HELP AFRICAN COUNTRIES; SO IT’S A FASCINATING STORY
TO HEAR.”
