From the moment Josh Aisosa came into the world, it’s been his obligation to safeguard everything dear to him.

To protect his family, protect his confidence, and to now protect his quarterback.

But the Edmond Santa Fe offensive lineman was destined to be an overseeing figure from birth. His early innocence as an irregular 10-pound newborn fresh out of the womb was an initial sign to Caroline Birts that her baby boy would be unique.

“I knew when I first held him in my arms that his calling was to be a leader,” said Birts, Aisosa’s mother. “Other than him being an oversized infant, something about his aura was just different. That’s a feeling I won’t ever forget.”

Now, as a 17-year-old three-star athlete, Aisosa currently stands as a 6-foot-4, 305-pound left tackle — recently committing to play college football just 30 miles south of Edmond at OU.

However, life hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Aisosa.

He spent most of his childhood growing up in McKinney, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. Despite being the middle child, two years apart from his older sister and younger brother, Aisosa had to grow up quicker than expected. His father wasn’t around much at a young age, and when he was present, he was abusive to Birts and the family.

Birts, an immigrant from Nigeria, was always left to take care of her children alone. Eventually, she’d reached a breaking point — electing to divorce her abusive husband and move her and the three kids out of the house.

Aisosa’s father was enraged in response to the split, so much so that he took all of Birts’ personal documents which she’d attained since moving to the U.S. Without physical proof of a work permit, she could not work a job.

In turn, the divorce left Birts seeking a new place to call home. The family first stayed at Emily’s Place, a domestic shelter, for two years and later moved to share an apartment home with another family at the Agape Resource & Assistance Center.

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“It was really tough seeing my mom do everything in her power to provide for us everyday,” Aisosa said.

Even as a child, Aisosa could see their living conditions didn’t align with everyday human needs.

“I remember waking up cold in that apartment with roaches crawling all around,” Aisosa continued. “Living in a shelter home is just not a place you want to be — but it taught me to appreciate everything you do have at your lowest, like family.”

Though in defiance of their situation, Birts and family continued to rely on their faith.

She continued to load up her kids in their Dodge Caravan and take them to church on Sundays. After the service, she’d go around asking churchgoers — not for money — but for gas to take Aisosa and his siblings to school the very next day.

Throughout the troubling times, Aisosa tried his best to stay level-headed even as an adolescent. He highlighted his positive influences outside the shelter while trying not to let them outweigh the unfavorable circumstances he dealt with at home.

Aisosa was a straight-A student throughout grammar school and remained hard on himself in the classroom to make his mom proud. He would soon pick up a love for sports — envisioning himself one day becoming a professional athlete in the NBA.

“At that time, having the best grades possible and staying out of trouble was the least I could do,” Aisosa said. “My mom already had enough on her plate. I feel like pushing myself through our obstacles made me become who I am now. I’ve always tried to lead by example for my siblings.”

“Growing up, my love was basketball initially. It was my dream to become an athlete and just not a 9-5 type of person.” Aisosa continued. “I always try to dream big so when it does happen, it’ll make for an even sweeter feeling.”

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Introduction to new beginnings

Yet, Aisosa’s aspirations would soon change upon being introduced to a new life.

After months of waiting for a response from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, Birts received the life-altering news that her green card had been approved. In the coming weeks, Aisosa noticed his way of life was slowly improving.

His mother laid it all on the line — working three jobs at once to provide and get her family back on its feet. Soon after receiving enough paychecks, Birts moved the family out of the shelter into a home.

It was the small things that made Birts and her tribe feel whole again. They no longer had to share a bathroom with another family. Before long, old ruffled clothes were replaced by new fabrics. She swapped out hand-me-down toys for bicycles and legos.

“My number one job in life has always been to take care of my kids and not being able to do that over the years was crushing,” Birts said. “Once I started back working, it got to a point where there was nothing they wanted that I couldn't provide. That’s all any parent should want for their family.”

Birts would soon find a new love interest whom she has since married. Her engagement prompted her to move three hours north of McKinney in 2020 and give her three children an opportunity for a fresh start in Edmond.

The move energized Aisosa, who thrived off embracing a new challenge in a new state.

Upon enrolling at Edmond Santa Fe High School, Aisosa ditched his lifelong dream of becoming a professional basketball player after his freshman year and attempted to play football — a sport he had no experience playing.

“My mom used to tell me she thought I should try football all the time when I was younger, but I could never get into it,” Aisosa said. “That summer, I came out to practice and tried it, and I enjoyed it. It wasn't by coincidence, though; I always chalk things like that up as me having a greater purpose and a greater goal.”

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Receiving interest

Aisosa would soon fulfill his purpose — becoming one of the highest-rated prospects to come out of Edmond Santa Fe in just two years.

After playing junior varsity during his sophomore year, he spearheaded a Wolves offensive line that helped produce nearly 2,600 yards of total offense in 10 starts as a junior.

Then came the offers.

Aisosa was recruited by a slew of Division I programs and received collegiate offers from Iowa State, Eastern Michigan, Tulsa, UNLV, Army, Texas State, Navy and most notably — his new home-state powerhouse OU.

In the face of success, Aisosa was still relatively new to the area. He initially struggled to build trust with others around him. He would soon make that reliance on members of his coaching staff, including Wolves offensive line coach Austin Maly.

Upon receiving interest from Iowa State, Maly volunteered to embark Aisosa and his family on a 600-mile trip north to Ames. Conversations in close quarters during the 16-hour trip indicated to Aisosa that he had a mentor in Maly whom he could confide in.

“Coach Maly has been with me every step of the way since I moved here,” Aisosa said. “Family doesn't have to be related by blood, it can be any person you hold close to you. Coach Maly has been my family.”

Maly, a second-year coach at Edmond Santa Fe, has experience protecting the quarterback in the trenches as well. He played a key role throughout Aisosa’s recruitment process.

The senior leaned on Maly daily — asking for pointers, advice and direction as he drew closest to him while juggling scholarship offers. It seemed no coincidence that Aisosa’s breakout season came in Maly’s first year on the job.

“He’s just been a sponge from the moment I got here,” Maly said. “Josh is extremely talented, but what stands out most to me is his approach every week. He’s already carrying himself like a pro.”

“His work ethic allows him to lead by example for us,” Maly continued. “It’s just the way he works in the weight room, how he watches film on weekends, and his attention to detail at practice every week has been remarkable to see. This guy has been self-driven to succeed from day one.”

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Eyes to the future

The recruitment road eventually led to the most significant decision of Aisosa’s career. Having originally planned to announce his commitment nine days in advance, he couldn’t hold in his choice of college any longer.

On Aug. 5, he announced online that he was committing to OU — bolstering an already loaded Sooners class of 2024.

Aisosa clarified that there was never a doubt of choice after receiving the OU offer on July 7.

“As soon as I got the offer, I knew it was the place I probably would choose,” Aisosa said.

“Coach Maly and my friends saw me post the offer on Twitter and all told me I'd be making a mistake to overthink it and not go there. Having that kind of support just made the choice much easier.”

Fast forward to the present — all the pieces have fallen in line at Edmond Santa Fe.

The Wolves are off to a 5-3 start to the season and clinched a home matchup in the first round of the Class 6A-I playoffs after a four-game win streak. Depending on the outcomes from games this weekend, they’re poised to be seeded anywhere from 2-4.

Aisosa has dominated edge rushers at the line of scrimmage as a senior, commanding a Wolves offensive line that has helped produce nearly 4,000 total yards through eight games.

“Josh has been a straight dog up front for us,” said Wolves star running back Demarius Robinson. The junior leads Edmond Santa Fe in touches this season, rushing for 1959 yards and 25 touchdowns behind the Wolves' offensive line.

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“He’s been paving the way for myself and the others on offense all season long,” Robinson said. “Our line is what makes our team go and Josh has done a great job of being the beast he is.”

November has presented a new challenge for Aisosa in the meantime.

Following a 1-9 finish a season ago, the Wolves will have the chance to compete in the postseason with hopes of winning their first-ever state championship. Edmond Santa Fe most recently finished runner-up in the state title game in 2020.

Through the journey, Aisosa will continue to have his sights set on Norman. Daily, he envisions his first time running out of the tunnel at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, donning the Sooners’ crimson and cream Jordan Brand jerseys.

Aisosa will enroll on campus early at OU in January. Birts, however, isn’t looking forward to not seeing her gentle giant not present to duck under the door frame as he heads to school each morning.

“I don’t care if he’s just 30 minutes away — that’s my baby boy,” Birts said. “Sometimes people ask me, ‘Do you ever regret everything that’s happened?’ And I always say no. I'm glad things happened the way they did because if not, we wouldn't be where we are today.”

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football commit Josh Aisosa blocked out adversity 'to dream big'