FAMU drum major high steps from the Oscars to College Football Hall of Fame

Oluwamodupe “Dupe” Oloyede set the standard in the fall of 2025 as the lead drum major of the Marching 100 at Florida A&M University, the first woman to do so in the band’s nearly 80-year history.

On Wednesday, the Atlanta native and Southwest Dekalb High School graduate continued her legacy with an exhibit at the College Football Hall of Fame in recognition of Women’s History Month.

Oloyede reacts as she sees her exhibit for the first time at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

“I’m astounded,” she said, standing next to the exhibit. “This is an honor.”

Decorated in swaths of FAMU’s orange and green, the exhibit featured majestic photos of Oloyede on the football field commanding Florida A&M’s band. The jacket of her uniform and a tall major shako hat were ornamental in the display.

Joined by family, Oloyede proudly explained each detail of the display located in the main hall and game memories. Wearing a green sweater, orange nails and FAMU-branded shoes, the lead drum major was celebrating her latest accomplishment.

College Football Hall of Fame Vice President of Communications Yomand Brown said putting together an exhibit is a collaborative process between the center and a student’s school, with a focus placed on sourcing authentic artifacts to tell an educational and compelling story.

“We worked closely with Florida A&M University and supporting partners to help bring Dupe’s story to life,” Brown said. “(Dupe’s) inclusion in the exhibit reflects her cultural and historical impact on the game and the broader college football experience, particularly through her groundbreaking role at Florida A&M.”

Only former football players and coaches are inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Due to the sport being male-dominated, women have not been inducted but the center still recognizes the roles they have played within the sport through exhibits and storytelling.

Ahead of visiting the exhibit, Oloyede continued building her notoriety — only this time, it wasn’t on the football field.

On Sunday, Oloyede was part of a musical performance at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. During the “I Lied to You” juke-joint commemoration of the film “Sinners,” Oloyede staged her drum major routine during the Afrofuturistic blues scene that combined realms of Black American music.

(Oloyede is seen on the far left in front of the stage at the 3:37 video marker.)

“I really honor (’Sinners’ director) Ryan Coogler for how he used our ancestry together in one movie — musically, artistically, even in the fashion, the way that the characters are displayed, you’re seeing that they’re staying true to their time,” Oloyede said. “To represent that, I’m really honored.”

Once again, being the lead drum major at FAMU worked in her favor.

This spring, Oloyede, a theater major at FAMU, pledged the sorority Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., which also included a new member presentation. During Oloyede’s introduction, she performed a segment of her drum major choreography.

Oloyede, the FAMU Marching 100 head drum major, stands at attention ahead of the halftime performance at Homecoming on Oct. 18. 2025. (Tia Mitchell/AJC)

A video of the show went viral on social media, which Oloyede said led to her being contacted by “Sinners” composer Ludwig Göransson. He presented the opportunity to perform at the Oscars ceremony.

“There’s no reality where I’m missing the Oscars,” Oloyede said, adding she was worried about not making it to Los Angeles after missing her initial flight. “If I have to swim to Los Angeles, I was going to make it work.”

With a supportive community, Oloyede managed to make an alternate flight and in time to rehearse and perform at the Academy Awards.

Oloyede believes her performance at the Oscars “is just the first step in many great things.”

“The beautiful thing about my story is that it’s always one thing after the next, one thing after the next,” she said.

Still leaning in her interest of performing, Oloyede has an optimistic outlook on what’s in store. She graduates from FAMU this spring.

“I have this philosophy. I don’t have to worry about tomorrow because the way that things have been set up, I think whatever God puts next is going to be great,” she said. “I thought grad school was the next step. Who knows what’s next? I would love to teach. I would love to perform.

“Really, the next step I want is representation,” said Oloyede, who is Nigerian American. “Let’s make some great work. Let’s display our culture even better, even greater than what we can see right now.