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Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Meet Wendol Philord
11/24/2025 1:10:00 PM | Football
Philord is wrapping up his sixth and final year of collegiate eligibility, two seasons after transferring from an NAIA school at Keiser to Division I.
The Miami native began his football journey when he was just three years old. One thing that sticks with him to this day is the bonds and relationships he quickly created with his teammates. These relationships were a family, without being blood related as described by Philord.
"My team and I, we played together all the way growing up from middle school to high school. Of course we had some people that left, but the main people, we stayed together." said Philord.
Philord began his freshman season amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, resulting in his first collegiate campaign being postponed from fall 2020 to the spring of 2021.
Although Philord had to adjust to this change, he acknowledges that the experience helped him improve his game.
"After a season, you must wait a whole year to do it again. But this year, I had a season, then I had a short two-month break, and then it was back into another season."
Philord believed the shortened break helped keep him in shape and focused on the upcoming season.
Throughout his time at Keiser, Philord went on to lead his team in multiple categories. In his freshman year, Philord matched a program single season record with six interceptions on his way to earning the MSC Sun Division First Team Honors.
In his sophomore year, as Philord found his way as the designated return man. He led the NAIA in total return yards (785) while leading the Seahawks in interceptions with four. He was named a first-team All-Sun Conference selection as a defensive back for the second straight year.
That same season, Philord and his Keiser team advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA Football Championship Series, where they lost to Northwestern College. He recalls the moment as leaving a sour taste in his mouth. The loss stuck with Philord and his teammates, which pushed them to work harder and had them focus on one task for the next season: winning a National Championship.
In Philord's junior year, he continued to perform at an exceptional level. He returned 17 kicks for a total of 424 yards and one score and returned 24 punts, three for a score. Defensively he had three forced fumbles and three interceptions on the year. It was that junior year after three seasons of dedication and hard work that Philord was able to capture that elusive National Championship he had desired.
Besides the birth of his son, Philord described this as the happiest moment in his life. "Being able to win the first national championship for the Keiser football program, being a part of that team, everything was just unbelievable."
In 2024, Philord made the transfer to Florida Atlantic, which was set to be his final year of eligibility. That season, he recorded 40 total tackles, four deflected passes and two forced fumbles and took on responsibility as a leader. In late 2024, the NCAA approved a blanket waiver, which granted an additional year of eligibility to for JUCO (Junior College) transfers. At the time, Philord was preparing for the NFL Pro Day when he learned the news. He spoke with his agent who encouraged him to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him.
Philord's leadership role continued in his second year with the Owls, being named a team captain. In eight games, he ties the team high with five pass breakups and has totaled 15 tackles, one for a loss.
The Miami native began his football journey when he was just three years old. One thing that sticks with him to this day is the bonds and relationships he quickly created with his teammates. These relationships were a family, without being blood related as described by Philord.
"My team and I, we played together all the way growing up from middle school to high school. Of course we had some people that left, but the main people, we stayed together." said Philord.
Philord began his freshman season amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, resulting in his first collegiate campaign being postponed from fall 2020 to the spring of 2021.
Although Philord had to adjust to this change, he acknowledges that the experience helped him improve his game.
"After a season, you must wait a whole year to do it again. But this year, I had a season, then I had a short two-month break, and then it was back into another season."
Philord believed the shortened break helped keep him in shape and focused on the upcoming season.
Throughout his time at Keiser, Philord went on to lead his team in multiple categories. In his freshman year, Philord matched a program single season record with six interceptions on his way to earning the MSC Sun Division First Team Honors.
In his sophomore year, as Philord found his way as the designated return man. He led the NAIA in total return yards (785) while leading the Seahawks in interceptions with four. He was named a first-team All-Sun Conference selection as a defensive back for the second straight year.
That same season, Philord and his Keiser team advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA Football Championship Series, where they lost to Northwestern College. He recalls the moment as leaving a sour taste in his mouth. The loss stuck with Philord and his teammates, which pushed them to work harder and had them focus on one task for the next season: winning a National Championship.
In Philord's junior year, he continued to perform at an exceptional level. He returned 17 kicks for a total of 424 yards and one score and returned 24 punts, three for a score. Defensively he had three forced fumbles and three interceptions on the year. It was that junior year after three seasons of dedication and hard work that Philord was able to capture that elusive National Championship he had desired.
Besides the birth of his son, Philord described this as the happiest moment in his life. "Being able to win the first national championship for the Keiser football program, being a part of that team, everything was just unbelievable."
In 2024, Philord made the transfer to Florida Atlantic, which was set to be his final year of eligibility. That season, he recorded 40 total tackles, four deflected passes and two forced fumbles and took on responsibility as a leader. In late 2024, the NCAA approved a blanket waiver, which granted an additional year of eligibility to for JUCO (Junior College) transfers. At the time, Philord was preparing for the NFL Pro Day when he learned the news. He spoke with his agent who encouraged him to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him.
Philord's leadership role continued in his second year with the Owls, being named a team captain. In eight games, he ties the team high with five pass breakups and has totaled 15 tackles, one for a loss.
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