Tony Adeniran (Alumnus)

When pushed against the ropes, Tony Adeniran ’10 knows what it takes to punch back and rise as victorious.

As a child athlete, Adeniran got his first taste of success as Junior Olympic track sprinter. It during his running days when a classmate made a joke about Adeniran’s quick pace and strong build by nicknaming him “Black Stallion.” But Adeniran didn’t mind it, and the moniker stuck.   

Years later, he moved to the San Antonio from Houston to attend college and run track. But with newly developed knee pain, he had to part ways from the sport. It was at this life-altering moment that he decided to dedicate his time and attention to boxing.

He spent much of his time practicing at Ramos Boxing, a gym on the Southside of San Antonio. One day, during a drive to the gym, he noticed the burgeoning campus of Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA). Intrigued by the campus, Adeniran spoke with an advisor and decided to transfer schools. Upon admission, he immediately noticed how caring his advisors were and how much interest they had in helping him achieve his goals.

“When I got to Texas A&M-San Antonio, I felt like the professors cared so much. The professors in classrooms were teaching us how to apply what was being taught as opposed to just lecturing,” he says.

Adeniran remembers his time at A&M-SA with fondness and loved that professors knew him by name. Within a year, Adeniran completed his Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

After graduation, Adeniran worked in a boxing gym as a personal trainer and simultaneously at a mortuary trimming the overgrown grass around graves. It wasn’t his ideal situation, but it drove him in the direction in which he was destined.

He knew he wanted to be an entrepreneur and that his education coupled with his life experiences would lead him to the next step. And although it took years, Adeniran trusted the process and “paid his dues” before seeing the fruits of his labor.

In August 2017, Adeniran saw his well-earned prize and opened the pristine glass doors to his privately-owned boxing gym—Black Stallion Boxing. And to the surprise of many, Adeniran didn’t have a grand opening event. He knew after taking A&M-SA business classes that such a lavish event would set him back financially and prevent him from following his business plan. Instead, he aimed to attract clients with his best marketing tool—word of mouth—which served him well. He is busier than ever and is considering opening another location.

“If you want to be an entrepreneur you need to immerse yourself into the specific career field you see yourself in,” says Adeniran. “You have to go out there and get that experience. Ask questions to the person you’re working under. You got to have hustle. You have to have determination. You have to be able to stay the course, period.”

A legacy Adeniran hopes to leave behind is to inspire others to realize who they truly are. He credits his boxing coach, Arturo Ramos, for helping unearth the “Black Stallion” spirit that was dormant. He also recognizes his parents as being the driving force behind his pursuit of a college degree.

Adeniran is one of many alumni who have great memories of attending A&M-SA. His perseverance is an example to fellow Jaguars that with determination, one’s aspirations can be met. He highly recommends anyone to check out A&M-SA.

“I think you’ll be surprised at what you would find,” he says.