Who is Big Sou?
A look at the life and career of TCU basketball player Souleymane Doumbia
Growing up in the Ivory Coast, Souleymane Doumbia dreamed of being a professional soccer player. Then he discovered basketball.
“I saw people in my neighborhood walking while dribbling a ball, and I thought they looked really cool doing it," said Doumbia. "I fell in love with basketball out of nowhere.”
The switch meant Doumbia wanted to come to America.
“I wanted to be like Kevin Durant,” said Doumbia.
Doumbia came to the U.S. in 2015 hoping to play Division 1 basketball before launching an NBA career or playing professionally overseas.
But issues with his immigration papers put his dreams on hold.
The school he attended was shut down and the people who ran it were charged with harboring aliens. The school itself was charged with human trafficking.
He returned to the Ivory Coast and said he was told that he would never be able to return to America.
“This really made me forget about my dream of America,” said Doumbia.
Instead, Doumbia got an opportunity to play basketball at the Trail International School in Thailand.
While in Thailand, Cody Hopkins, then an assistant coach at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, kept reaching out to Doumbia.
“He told me my situation was not as bad as I thought it was," Doumbia said. "After going to Thailand, I was motivated to return to America and keep following my dreams.”
Hopkins said he had heard of Doumbia’s situation and thought he would be able to help.
“I had a player who knew him well [James Jean Marie] reach out and ask if he had any interest in junior college basketball," Hopkins said. "I thought it was a tragedy that he was unable to finish high school in the U.S., but getting to know him I felt like he was the perfect candidate for JUCO to help get his academic requirements, develop his game and return to his dream of playing major college basketball.”
Getting Doumbia back to the U.S. was not simple, but sharing his story helped.
“We had to really tell his story of a child that came into the United States with the impression that his guardians on arrival would have him in a safe place and he would be taken care of," Hopkins said. "That school and its administration later pled guilty in Georgia courts for human trafficking. We learned that as a victim of human trafficking he would qualify for a second chance at obtaining a United States visa.”
Hopkins said that being in Thailand also helped speed along the process.
“It was much easier getting him an appointment and approval through the embassy in Thailand," he said. "He was there attending high school and playing basketball. We gave him letters and documents to take to his appointment, and I believe the person that was in charge of his case recognized his unfortunate prior situation and determination to come back to the U.S. Thankfully they approved his visa, and a few weeks later he was on a plane to Dallas."
Doumbia played for Navarro College for the 2019-20 and the 2020-21 seasons.
Souleymane Doumbia playing for the Trail International School in Thailand. (Photo Courtesy of Souleymane Doumbia)
Souleymane Doumbia playing for the Trail International School in Thailand. (Photo Courtesy of Souleymane Doumbia)
Souleymane Doumbia shooting a free throw while playing for Navarro College. (Photo: Navarro College Athletics)
Souleymane Doumbia shooting a free throw while playing for Navarro College. (Photo: Navarro College Athletics)
(Photo: Navarro College Athletics)
(Photo: Navarro College Athletics)
After two seasons, Doumbia had offers from a number of Division 1 schools.
He committed to TCU in September 2020, signing his letter of intent that November.
Doumbia chose TCU over Houston, Alabama, Georgia, Baylor, Mississippi State, Cincinnati and Texas A&M.
TCU assistant coach Tony Benford is one of the main reasons he chose TCU, Doumbia said.
Benford was on the coaching staff at LSU when he started scouting Souleymane, who at the time was a junior in high school.
“I saw him play on an AAU team before he had to go home because of the issues with his immigration. He played with a lot of energy,” said Benford.
Once he was able to play in the U.S. again, Benford worked to bring Doumbia to TCU.
“I got a call from my friend Cody Hopkins, who told me that they were getting Sou to come play at Navarro College and that I may have another shot at recruiting him, this time to TCU,” said Benford.
Doumbia said TCU's coaching staff made a strong impression.
“Something I loved about TCU was how the whole staff recruited me, the whole staff showed me how important I would be to all of them,” said Doumbia.
Benford said this is a major part of TCU’s recruiting philosophy.
“We really try to get to know the guys beyond basketball, we want to get to know them as people," he said. "With Sou it was a unique circumstance because of the issues he had with his immigration where he was in a vulnerable spot, we wanted to show him that he could trust us too.”
Visiting TCU also helped the Frogs stand out.
“They showed that they were really interested in me by doing things that other schools were not doing,” said Doumbia.
Doumbia said he loves how close he has become with his teammates.
“These guys are like my family, I love my teammates, I love my coaches and everyone involved with the team,” said Doumbia.
Read more: Put on for my city: The story of Mike Miles' basketball journey
Doumbia is more than a student-athlete.
He also has a 3-year-old daughter named Savannah.
Doumbia said he's been able to spend time with his family and on basketball.
“It’s just how you handle it. You know?" he said. "You might think it's hard, but at the end of the day it's still your responsibility, and you have to do it.
“I am going to be there for my daughter no matter what, even if I have to drop everything for her I’ll do it because that's my kid,” he said.
Benford commends Doumbia for how well he balances all of his responsibilities.
“I’ve been around a lot of kids in similar situations in my 30 years of coaching, and few of them handle it as well as Sou has," he said. "He handles it tremendously. He spends plenty of time with his daughter and you can see the joy on his face when she is around. He’s a great role model.”
Doumbia also credits his daughter with being his motivation.
“Since she was born, she is the reason I work hard, the person I think about when things get hard,” he said.
Souleymane is now currently in his second season for Horned Frogs. He currently has a career high of nine points and six rebounds which came against Grambling State on Dec. 21, 2021.
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