HSB25 HIGH ACHIEVERS: Hugo Djeumeni taking his impressive running game to Yale University

By Martin Cleary

Fifty years ago this August, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band released their third studio album called Born to Run.

Fifty years later, there’s an Ottawa athlete who deserves to have that title stitched on his jersey to summarize his high school football career.

If you put a football in the hands of Hugo Djeumeni, stand back, he was born to run and run and run some more until he reaches the end zone for the Tabor Academy Seawolves.

In the spring, Djeumeni took his running talents to the track and ran a personal-best time of 10.89 seconds, which is the fastest ever recorded by a Grade 12 student-athlete at Tabor and an impressive clocking for a six-foot, 210-pound running back.

That time also was unmatched in the boys’ 100-metre heats at the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council division 2 track and field championships. He placed fifth in the final at 11.00 seconds.

Djeumeni, 18, played his final two high school football seasons at Tabor, which is a prep school in Marion, Massachusetts. The number of yards he gained and the number of touchdowns he scored rank high in the unbelievable category. It’s even more impressive when you consider he accomplished this in the American version of the game.

After helping the St. Matthew Catholic High School Tigers win the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association senior football title and the OFSAA Football Series National Capital Bowl in 2022, he eventually transferred to Tabor to experience a higher level of football. In the Tigers’ 24-15 OFSAA victory over Northern of Toronto, which was his final high school game in Canada, Djeumeni ran for 297 yards on 31 carries and recorded three touchdowns.

He didn’t enter the American game as an offensive or defensive lineman, a role taken by many Canadian players, but rather a highly skilled position, a running back. And he had only been a running back for his one season at St. Matthew.

Working in perfect harmony with his talented offensive linemen and following his credo of being the best he can be every day, Djeumeni accumulated an unimaginable two-year total of 4,166 yards rushing on 414 carries and scored 67 touchdowns in the Independent School League. He averaged a stunning 10.6 yards a carry and 3.7 touchdowns a game.

“I should have had more (yardage and touchdowns). I’m serious,” said the determined Djeumeni, who praised his teammates for his success.

“It comes down to the people around you. I felt I had one of the best offensive lines and amazing coaches. I was bound to be successful.”

He helped Tabor post win-loss records of 8-1 in 2024 and 7-2 in 2023, which allowed the Seawolves to play in season-ending NEPSAC bowl games. Tabor routed Dexter Southfield in the Kevin Macdonald Bowl 48-20 last fall, after losing 63-43 to Buckingham Browne and Nichols in the John Papas Bowl in 2023.

Djeumeni’s individual statistics and playing ability have been recognized and rewarded with many individual honours and immediate attention from university coaches and scouts.

Born in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, Djeumeni’s football statistics are equally matched by his academic achievements, where he had a 90-per-cent average in Grade 11 and will be an honours student for Grade 12. Whether on the field or in the classroom, he strives to achieve the highest possible level of success.

Djeumeni was recruited by 15 to 20 universities, but he had his sights set on an Ivy League institution. His final decision came down to Yale University or Harvard University. He selected Yale, will study political science or economics and is the only 2025 recruit from Canada on the Bulldogs’ roster.

“I had a lot of interest (from university football programs). But I always value education. And there’s no better place than Yale,” said a confident Djeumeni.

“I went to Yale two or three times before I committed. Every time, I connected with the coach (Tony Reno) and he was open to talk to me. We really made a good connection. For my official visit, I met 10 coaches and the players. I could see myself with them.”

🔷 Get out of the way when he’s running downhill with a head of steam!

🏈 Welcome to #Team152, Hugo Djeumeni!

🗣️ @HDjeumeni pic.twitter.com/gAuyG8gPod— Yale Football (@yalefootball) June 18, 2025

Djeumeni attended the Bulldogs’ spring football camp and watched the intrasquad game from the sidelines.

“I saw the intensity, the speed and the fast-paced game,” he recalled.

As he approaches his freshman year, he is fully confident he can get some playing time as one of the five running backs.

“It comes down to holding yourself to a high standard. I’m that type of person. I don’t take anything less than what I worked for,” he emphasized. “I definitely see myself playing.”

Putting himself in a situation where he had the golden opportunity to be highly recruited and selecting an Ivy League university took a lot of work.

Djeumeni, who played five years of minor football for the Cumberland Panthers and the North Gloucester Giants, attended Mer Bleue high school for Grades 9 and 10. But Mer Bleue didn’t have a football program.

During that time the COVID-19 pandemic put a full stop to high school athletics. When Djeumeni was ready to enter Grade 11, he was convinced by his friends to switch to St. Matt’s to take part in the football program. He was a defensive back at the time.

“It was great. I enjoyed it,” Djeumeni said about his one year at St. Matthew. “Honestly, there was a real family dynamic. It was really incredible. The coach (Geoffrey Coventry) set a high standard. We practised every day, hot or cold. It was insane.”

But Djeumeni was wanting more. He figured to become one of the best, you have to play with the best. That meant looking for a prep school in the United States to pave the road to an NCAA division 1 university.

That process wasn’t easy as he started about two months late in 2023. He approached schools in Rhode Island, North Carolina and California, but couldn’t make it work for him.

A personal trainer, who works with Djeumeni, made a call to a coach at Tabor and asked if the Seawolves’ roster needed a running back. A door was open for Djeumeni and he ran through it.

“My time was running out and it was one of the lowest moments in my life,” he recalled. “This was my big dream. I didn’t know where I was going. I was still training hard, still working to that goal. It was a revelation for me.”

Djeumeni didn’t know much about Tabor Academy, which is situated on 88 waterfront acres on Sippican Harbor in Marion, Massachusetts, which has access to the Atlantic Ocean.

“The first day of classes, I didn’t know where to go. But the football guys helped me out. Being on a team, I already had 50 friends and they helped me out,” Djeumeni explained.

Tabor football captains @HDjeumeni & @Timbeng312 are the back to back recipients of Most Outstanding Contribution to Athletics! #RideTheWave #SeawolfNation pic.twitter.com/Ca3L3deJoD— Coach Jeff Moore (@CoachJeffMoore) May 30, 2025

Academically, Djeumeni was strong, but he said he always had plenty of support from teachers and advisors.

“I hold myself to a high standard,” he underlined again. “I train hard … try to do my best.”

Doing his best brought him many honours.

For the second straight year, he was the recipient of the most outstanding contribution to Tabor athletics in 2024-25 and shared it with teammate and four-time captain Tim Bengtson.

A football team captain, Djeumeni was selected the Darren Gallup Independent School League most valuable player, the ISL offensive player of the year and the NEPSAC player of the year for 2024. He also was named to the All-New England all-star team.

In his debut season, Djeumeni was selected the NEPSAC class B player of the year and placed on the All-New England team. His dashing performances earned him five ISL player-of-the-game honours, three Boston Herald star-of-the-week rewards and two Boston Globe player-of-the-week recognitions.

“I’m not a big awards person,” Djeumeni admitted. “I’m good at football. I appreciate every award. But I don’t need a piece of metal to tell me I’m good at football. I know that.

“My self-value isn’t based on awards. I don’t go out to win every award. My goal is to win every game.”

The Yale University Bulldogs, who begin their Ivy League season Sept. 20 in their 61,000-seat, bowl-shaped stadium against the College of the Holy Cross, can’t wait to plug into that positive attitude, if they can catch him.

Read More of our 2025 High School Best Series as we tip our caps to top local student-athletes at: OttawaSportsPages.ca/Ottawa-High-School-Best-2025