Jeffrey M'ba could be one of the most well-traveled players in the country, between his birthplace of Gabon, growing up in France, and stopping at several schools around the country. He will add another stop to that journey as he settles in with the Boilermakers next season.

Growing up in his hometown of Fougere, France, M'ba dreamed of playing soccer, like many others raised in Europe. Then one day, a childhood friend introduced him to the game of football, which would change the trajectory of his life.

M'ba, with his large frame and strength, took the advice and began working towards starting a new path on the gridiron. That process started by suiting up for Pionniers de Touraine in France just four years ago. The short stint of learning the game back home was instrumental in developing the Boilermakers' new defensive lineman.

"I was in a structure where they kind of taught me about football a little bit more," M'ba said.

While he gained valuable knowledge in his home country, France has not been known to produce NFL talent. However, the game is growing across the pond. The country now has a professional football team they call their own, the Paris Musketeers, of the European League of Football.

"We got a pro football team in Paris right now," M'ba said. "They get a lot of money, and it's pretty big. It's not like the NFL, but it's more like the CFL."

A year after starting his football career, M'ba was already in the United States to further pursue his dreams. The move was prompted by M'ba's desire to become someone and do something special.

"My dream when I started playing football was to go to the U.S. to be someone. I didn't play football to be regular," M'ba said.

After playing a handful of games for St. Thomas More in Connecticut, M'ba emerged on several Power 5 team's radars on the recruiting trail.

In March of 2019, M'ba committed to Virginia as a three-star recruit, but his career in Charlottesville ended before it even began. The 310-pound defensive tackle was forced to de-commit and re-classify to the class of 2020 after not being academically eligible to join the Cavaliers.

Despite once receiving offers from the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, Georgia, and others, M'ba took his talents to Independence, Kansas. There he joined the Indy Pirates, which became a hot commodity for JUCO players after being the focus of the hit Netflix series "Last Chance U."

M'ba made his "last chance" count.