Jaylin Babers, a standout running back and record-setting athlete for Lyon College, is taking his talents to the international stage.
Babers, Scots football’s leading rusher for the last two seasons, has signed a contract to play internationally in Brazil.
A recent Lyon College graduate from Colorado Springs, Colorado, Babers signed to play running back for Goianos FA. The American Football Club is headquartered in Goiânia, Brazil, the capital city of the state of Goiás, located in central Brazil.
The club is a participant in the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol Americano (CBFA) and is a newly-branded club as it is a consolidation between the now-former Goiânia Rednecks and the Goiânia Saints football teams.
American football is a sport that is gaining traction very quickly overseas, especially in Brazil, as the CBFA has been going strong there since its formation in 2000.
“I’m blessed and thankful. It’s an amazing opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started,” Babers said. “After I graduated, there were mixed emotions in trying to figure out what I was going to do; there was a part of me that still wanted to play.”
Babers then contacted Coach Zak Wahlstrom, an assistant football coach for the Scots. Coach Wahlstrom helped Babers with the process of putting out film and a player profile to present to international football teams and coaching staffs from around the world, most of which are from Europe and Central and South America. Before too long, several teams began to contact Babers, and he eventually began a correspondence with new Goianos FA head coach Andrew Bernardini.
“[Coach Bernardini] was very consistent with his messages, even with the difference in time zones. He was persistent every day, always texting back and seeing if I had questions and asking what it would take to get me to come play for them.” Babers said, “What I’ve learned, even back during my college recruiting, is that you want to go somewhere that you’re truly wanted. This decision felt like the right one to make, and the atmosphere that I’ve noticed from the coaches and players from this team is that they’re like a family … If you’re going somewhere you feel like you can rely on the people around you, especially being in a different country, it makes the decision to go there much easier.”
Jaylin Babers
In his senior season at Lyon College this past fall, Babers rushed for accounted for 1,145 total yards, scored seven touchdowns, and left an everlasting mark on the program. He has now moved into second place all-time in Lyon Football history with 1,538 career rushing yards, third place all-time in single-season rushing yards with 960, and fifth place all-time in career total offensive yards.
When asked what Lyon College has meant to him over his last three seasons here, Babers said, “It’s been amazing, you can ask Coach [Christopher Douglas] our relationship is going to be lock-sealed tight ’til they end of our days on this Earth, he has completely changed my life … I was able to grow into something bigger than myself here at Lyon as a leader. This community and school is a huge family, it’s loving. This school, the coaches, my teammates, the faculty and staff have all played a role in becoming the man I am today, and I will forever be grateful.”
The 2025 CBFA season will begin in June, and Babers will travel to Brazil to report for training camp with Goianos FA in the spring.
Images: Lyon College Athletics
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