North Philly native Andre Odom overcame a challenging childhood to become an ascending NFL agent

Andre Odom’s path to becoming a prominent agent in this week’s NFL draft began with a broken home in North Philadelphia and the seemingly insurmountable odds of finding a way out.

The 38-year-old George Washington High School graduate who grew up near Broad Street and Olney Avenue is the agent for a couple of first-round hopefuls in this year’s class and has a handful of local clients across the league, most of whom he has been quick to remind a simple, yet defining fact about himself along the way.

“I’m not supposed to be here.”

“I grew up in North Philly. I had no mom, no dad, no direction, no structure,” Odom told The Inquirer. “I grew up in the streets, literally, doing whatever I wanted to do. Got adopted, went through the system. … I tell my guys that all the time, ‘I’m on borrowed time; I got lucky.’ And I don’t take that for granted. I’m not supposed to be here, and that’s why I work so hard.”

Odom’s prospects this year include Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku and Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, along with a handful of other prospects expected to go on the second and third days of the draft. Ezeiruaku is a Williamstown native who could make sense for the Eagles if he makes it to the end of the first round.

» READ MORE: Williamstown’s Donovan Ezeiruaku became a breakout star at Boston College

Working for Athletes First, the Temple graduate also is part of a team that represents Kyle Pitts, Micah Parsons, Odafe Oweh, and Emmanuel Forbes.

Odom spent part of his childhood living with an abusive father. He never really knew his mother, who fled from his father’s home before Odom and his brother, Robert, eventually did the same.

They did so when Odom was around 12 years old, entering the foster care system with help from one of his teachers, who Odom said noticed marks on his neck where his father had choked him. Once they were under her care, Odom’s grandmother decided he’d go to George Washington High School, where he quickly forged a strong bond with former longtime GW football coach Ron Cohen.

“He was like that father figure that we didn’t have,” Odom said. “He just helped me get out of the situation that I was in where it was a not so welcoming, not so warm situation. He helped me get through the process of going through the system.

“A lot of kids don’t make it when they get adopted and go through the system,” Odom said later. “For him to be that conduit, it really, really helped facilitate things and helped things become smoother. Because me being at school in Washington and then turning to football and then getting guidance and leadership, it gave me stability, it gave me a foundation, and gave me something to work toward.”

Cohen added: “A lot of my students, they don’t trust anybody. A lot of the men in their lives let them down. … You have to win them over, not by talking, but by being. I was able to — young men trusted me. I had kids sleep at my house. When SEPTA went on strike, I had kids stay at my house."

» READ MORE: Kyle McCord found a home at Syracuse. Here’s how the ‘Camden Orange’ prepared him for the NFL.

The bond between Odom and Cohen and the outlet George Washington offered him from a difficult environment didn’t come easily for him, though. Still living in North Philadelphia, Odom said his daily commute necessitated two buses and about 90 minutes each way. His traveling buddy was Jameel McClain, a former NFL linebacker who currently works in the Baltimore Ravens front office.

Odom can still remember the exact route he and his best friend took each day. It started by walking to Broad and Olney to catch the No. 18 bus. Ride that for half an hour to Oxford and Bleigh Avenues. Then catch the 67 to get to GW.

After the full school day and football practice afterward, Odom said they often wouldn’t get home until 9 p.m., which he said actually became instrumental to his healing process after escaping his abusive household.

“I was an angry, frustrated kid,” Odom said. “Boxing and football helped me get away from all of that. It helped me take out my frustration. That’s why boxing was the biggest blessing for me, and then I transitioned to football, and that really helped, too. … It would help me [handle] that pain and frustration. You work so hard, when you do eventually go home, man, you’re really just going home to sleep, right?

“It wasn’t perfect, but it was a beautiful getaway. I was accustomed to growing up in the ‘hood, so I used to love going to school, to be honest. I never missed a day of school because it was an escape. … You put that mask on, and you’re happy in school, because, again, it’s your getaway."

Once he graduated from GW, Odom attended Bloomsburg University on a scholarship before eventually transferring to Temple. He earned a spot on the Owls as a walk-on but said he still slept in his car most nights and showered at the athletic facility until a “godmother” who had previously dated his father took him in.

And after a year spent as a graduate assistant on Al Golden’s staff and some time working as a scout for the Chicago Bears, Odom eventually told Cohen about his plans to pursue a career as an NFL agent.

“I remember he said, ‘Coach, I want to be an agent.’ I started laughing and said, ‘Andre, you’re too honest to be an agent,’” Cohen said. “It’s a tough business. You’re selling yourself to these young men. It’s not an easy job, because you want to sign these young men, but you have to be honest with them.”

For Odom, that honesty stems from being open about his story and the improbable path he took to this year’s draft. As he sits in the green room and waits to celebrate with his clients, Odom said, he’ll be thinking about the things each of them had to overcome to get to that moment.

“Everything that I’ve went through and continue to go through today and transitioning to this space now where I’m dealing with younger kids and their families and being able to use those experiences, it helps you to become a conduit for them,” he said. “Because a lot of them come from extreme circumstances as well. I understand it.”