Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Even at 34, Amos Zereoue looks like your prototypical N.F.L. running back. His body and legs still look like they could power over linebackers. He stands 5-8 with shoulders broad enough to make one doubt whether they would fit through a doorway. But Zereoue has been retired from the N.F.L. since 2005 after seven seasons for the Steelers, Raiders and Patriots.

That’s when Zereoue began using his legs to kick around a soccer ball instead. But do not think for a second that this was something contrived or new for him.

“I was a soccer player originally,” said Zereoue. “But in middle school, all my friends were American football players. So they challenged me to come play ‘the real sport,’ and I was pretty good at it.”

As a boy, Zereoue immigrated to the United States from Ivory Coast, and like many immigrant children, soccer became the natural sport for him. His return to soccer as an adult proved to be more challenging.

“Football was just get the ball and don’t let them get you, the rest was just logistics and technique,” said Zereoue. “When I came back to soccer, my movements weren’t there yet; positioning is still a challenge to this day. But when I get the ball at my feet I can do some things.”

Every Sunday during the fall and spring, Zereoue plays forward for the Cosmopolitan Soccer League’s Central Park Rangers. But last weekend he took the field for something a bit dearer to his heart. He represented Ivory Coast at this year’s Cosmos Copa NYC. And even though NYC Ivory Coast did not advance past the first round, playing in the tournament was a special moment for Zereoue and his teammates.

“It’s pride to be able to represent Ivory Coast in the world’s capital,” said Zereoue. “Win or lose, the fact that I can get these guys together to play ball and forgot about what’s going on back home is a win for me.”



Zereoue’s efforts to bring the Ivorian community together have not been missed by his NYC Ivory Coast teammates. They appreciate what he brings to the table as a soccer player, as well as his accomplishments on the gridiron.

“If the team has anyone to look up to as far as being an Ivorian, it’s him,” said Hiyaw G-Yohannes, who has played soccer with Zereoue for the past five years. “The whole team can look at what he did and say, ‘He made it, there’s a possibility for me as well.’”

Although Zereoue appears to be a natural athlete, where he learned his soccer skills might be a matter of family debate. His brother Kevin Lue, also his teammate at both the club level and on NYC Ivory Coast, is “the soccer player of the family,” Zereoue said.

“Amos put this team together, but I might be the real brains behind it,” said Lue, smiling. “I taught him a lot of what he knows on the soccer field, but he’s taught me to be humble and disciplined.”

Besides being a leader by example and through past accomplishments, Zereoue’s soccer abilities might not be too shabby either.

“He can outrun a lot of people, he has that quick running back speed,” said G-Yohannes. “He has a nice first touch and he holds his own out there.”

Post-retirement could have meant longing to hear thousands scream his name, or for one last playoff run. But Zereoue seems to have adapted smoothly in going from American football to the global football.

“Football was nice and I was good at it, but soccer was always my passion. Now I’m out here having fun,” said Zereoue. “The craziest thing is, I felt more pressure playing soccer on Sunday in front of 10 people, than football in front of 100,000.”