Name: Justin Efebera
Position: Safety
School: University of Missouri, transferred to Mississippi College for final 2 years of eligibility
HT/WT: 6’0 205 lbs
X: @justinefebera
Instagram: @justinefebera
Achievements: (awards, honors, notable accomplishments, etc.…)
- Late start to football with rapid progress: Began playing football my senior year of high school and walked on to a Division I SEC Football program at the University of Missouri.
- Gained a strong reputation within the program for continuous improvement, work ethic, and reliability.
- Highlight performance: Recorded 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 critical pass breakups during the 2022 Missouri Spring Game while playing the entire game. (https://youtu.be/HsEAw7hJqmk?si=rofiLY939cYaDsx1)
- Increased Playing Time and Impact at D2 Level
- Senior Season Stats: 36TKL, 3 PBU’s
- 2021 SEC Academic Honor Roll
- 2022 SEC Academic Honor Roll
How’d you end up at your current school? What was the recruiting process like?
I believe my football journey has definitely been an interesting and unpredictable one. I only started playing football my senior year of high school where I started and played Cornerback. Even after only one year of experience, I was able to walk-on at the University of Missouri my freshman year by having good high school film and being persistent in reaching out to the coaches and recruiting personnel in the football program. After getting into an open tryout, I performed well and was one of six total athletes out of over 100 prospects chosen to join the team. I was then on the team for 3 more seasons until I graduated.
During my time at Mizzou I continuously got better and earned a good reputation in the program for my work ethic and reliability but was never favored enough to get substantial game reps largely due to my status as a walk-on. The highlight of my career at Mizzou was likely when I recorded 6TKL, 1TFL, and 2 critical PBU’s in the 2022 Spring game in which I played every defensive snap.
After graduating and entering the transfer portal, I transferred to Mississippi College for my final two years of eligibility. In the portal, I had offers from several top level D2 Schools but it definitely was still a stressful process as I initially thought I could still land at a D1 school. However, I eventually chose Mississippi College because I believed it was the school with the best academic reputation for me to earn my Masters of Business Administration degree from.
What gives you an advantage over other athletes at your position?
I believe I have several advantages over other athletes at my position. First, I have been at the highest level of college football in the SEC, where I have competed against the best athletes and received mentoring and coaching from some of the best coaches in college football. Being that I have SEC pedigree, I understand what it takes to be a successful player in that environment and all that goes into a successful football program.
I also have an underdog mindset. Given my journey beginning as a walk-on, I know that I have had to fight for and earn every position and rep I have. This has helped to not take any opportunity for granted and to continuously adapt to new conditions despite my limited opportunities.
What does being a student of a game mean to you?
To me, being a student of the game means to make “the game” a lifestyle. Football is a great representation of life and will teach you how to prepare for any upcoming opportunities. Particularly as a Safety, it is important for me to know my whole playbook and understand the checks and adjustments that need to be made and communicate that with my teammates. Through film study and experience, being a student of the game means to continuously be ready and preparing for the upcoming opportunity so that you can be confident and ready when that opportunity comes.
How does being a (Safety) reflect itself in your personal life?
I believe being safety reflects itself heavily in my personal life and personality. As a Safety, I often consider myself to be the “Quarterback of the Defense”, and especially of the Secondary. It is my job as a Safety to communicate to all other positions the checks and adjustments necessary with each play so that we are all on the same page. Personally, I consider myself to be a good communicator and leader, which I believe are skills necessary to be great in football and in life outside of football.
How would you describe your work ethic?
I would consider myself to have an elite work ethic. As I’ve mentioned before, being a walk-on has caused me to have to earn everything I have in football. This means that if there is an opportunity to get extra work in, (whether it’s an extra lift, field session, or recovery session), I will take it because it helps to get an edge on my opponent and competitors since I already know that I am chasing from behind. I believe the player and person I am today and am continuously growing into is a product of the work I have put in each and every day to be better.
What do you consider to be one of the more important things you learned from the coaching staff?
I believe I have learned so many important things from my past and current coaching staff. I believe the most prominent would be my practical knowledge of the game and how to be mentally tough and overcome adversity.
What would you consider to be your biggest accomplishment in your sports career so far?
I would consider my biggest accomplishment in my sports career so far is to be able to use football to pay for school. As I mentioned before, I started off as a walk-on after only playing one year of high school football. I believe it is quite impressive to be able to compete at the SEC level after being so new to the game, yet I took this accomplishment a step further by then being able to use football to pay for graduate school once I became a graduate transfer. This is an accomplishment that I am very proud of.
How did you hear about the National Scouting Combine?
I heard of the National Scouting Combine through the Director of Scouting (Alec Hankins), who sent me an invitation to participate.
Why did you choose the National Scouting Combine?
I chose the National Scouting Combine because I believe it is a great opportunity to show my abilities in front of professional scouts and go against great competition to better my skills.
What do you hope to show people at the combine?
I want to show that I am a player that has the skill, talent, and ability to play and be a difference maker in the NFL.
What was your Major? (Delete if you do not have a collegiate background)
I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri. I am currently in my last semester of my MBA Program which I will graduate with in May 2025.
If you could make a positive impact on all of society what would it be and why?
I believe that the greatest human ability is to inspire. I want my story and journey to be able to positively impact and encourage somebody else to strive to be the best they can be. I would further this mission by one day building a multi-faceted business to facilitate this.
What is something unique about you that people would find interesting?
Something unique about me is that I am the son of immigrants. My mother was born in the small West African country of Sierra Leone and my father is from Belize. I also come from a big family where I am the oldest of 5: I have one younger brother and three younger sisters. My parents have worked hard from their humble beginnings to best support me and my siblings. The combination of these cultural influences and my role as the oldest sibling I believe play a big part in who I am today.
If you had the opportunity to play another sport professionally, what sport would you
Choose?
I would run track. Track was my best sport in high school. I ran hurdles and was a sprinter. I would particularly want to run in the 110m Hurdles.
Are you involved in mentoring, a charity or do you “give back” or “pay it forward” in your community?
I have been involved in many mentoring and community based services. One of the most notable has been being a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. Through this program, I served as a mentor to local youth, providing accountability for mentees to strive for high aspirations, greater confidence, better relationships, avoidance of risky behaviors, and educational success. This opportunity allowed me to form a meaningful relationship with my assigned mentee and his family, one that I still maintain today.
