Miami Dolphins sign dynamic Canes DE known for miraculous recovery from coma at age 9
Mitchell Agude, a first-generation Nigerian-American whose family settled in Corona, California, used to be best known for his miraculous recovery from a nearly three-day coma after a skateboard accident as a 9-year-old.
Agude, who transferred from UCLA to Miami before the 2022 season, now continues his ascent in the sport of football, although he’ll have a much tougher climb after going undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft.
HIs next journey? The Miami Dolphins — right down the street from where he has been the past year.
Late Saturday, Agude, a 6-5, 250-pound edge rusher who also can play outside linebacker, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dolphins, per the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.
This past season, Agude started six of his 12 games, including the last five. He was UM’s fifth leading tackler, with 39, adding seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble.
Agude, 24, came to UM as a sixth-year redshirt senior, saying, “I transferred because I wanted to put myself and the team in the best situation. I just didn’t feel that at UCLA they really cared about my success.”
He spent two seasons with UCLA, where he was a second-team All-Pac 12 selection in 2021. He had 54 tackles, 6 ½ tackles for loss, two sacks and forced four fumbles that season. In the shortened 2020 seasons, he started five of seven games and led the team with nine tackles for loss and added three forced fumbles.
Before that, he was a three-star junior college recruit who played his first two seasons at Riverside Community College.
Agude’s amazing coma saga began when he slammed the back of his head onto a concrete skateboard ramp as a youngster. He woke up nearly three days later with no remnants of brain injury.
Agude, who earned his UCLA degree in African-American studies, said he doesn’t have many memories of the skateboard accident.
“The story is I got invited to a skate park by my friend,’’ he said. “I didn’t really know how to ride a skateboard. …The last thing I saw was the ramp. I don’t remember going down. I think what happened is I tried to go down like the turn pipe, the dip, or whatever, and that’s when I hit my head. I wasn’t wearing a helmet – so wear your helmet please.
“After that I don’t remember waking up. My parents kept praying and my whole family was there. A couple hours later I started getting movement. They did all the tests and I had no hemorrhaging anymore in my head, no blood in my head.’’
Agude said the “next thing’’ he knew was “everything was normal.’’
Before the season, Agude said he would approach his career “one step at a time.’’
“I want every opportunity,’’ he said. “If there’s an opportunity on the table I’m going to grab it.’’
▪ The Dolphins also signed undrafted Hurricanes offensive lineman DJ Scaife. More on Scaife to come.
This story was originally published April 30, 2023 at 10:40 AM.
