From Cameroon to Williamson County: Deputy Tedjou’s journey of service |

Williamson County Deputy Sheriff Francis Tedjou has traveled a long road to find his calling.

Born and raised in the Republic of Cameroon in Central Africa, Tedjou was the oldest of seven children. From an early age, he felt a responsibility to set an example for his younger siblings, especially after the family later lost both parents.

His father, a former member of the Cameroon military, set high expectations for his children. He emphasized discipline, education, kindness, generosity, and attention to detail while encouraging them to believe in themselves and pursue success.

“We used to call home basic training,” Tedjou said with a laugh. “We were taught to lead, and we were taught to be good kids.”

As a teenager, Tedjou planned to become an electrical engineer, though his father encouraged him to pursue civil engineering instead. Together, they searched for the best engineering schools in the United States.

“Coming from a tropical area, I had to look for a school in the South,” Tedjou said.

Their search led them to Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville.

After being accepted and receiving a student visa, Tedjou left his home country for the United States.

The transition proved far more difficult than he expected.

“My story is not common,” he said. “College was a big change. I struggled to learn English. The weather and the food were different, and I missed my family. At first I wanted to go home, but I pushed myself to do better and persevered.”

Learning English became one of his biggest challenges, but Tedjou was determined to succeed. After surviving his freshman year, he obtained a permanent resident card and entered his sophomore year with renewed confidence.

“I believed in myself and focused on what I wanted to do,” he said. “I was driven to be successful and be an example to my siblings. I was driven not to fail.”

Always looking for ways to help others, Tedjou volunteered to work security during Tennessee Tech football games. The experience led him to mentor fellow students with their studies and eventually join the university’s Army ROTC program.

There, he found the structure, discipline and sense of community he had been seeking.

“I wanted to be a role model for my siblings,” he said. “I wanted to be someone they could look up to.”

Tedjou graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering and a minor in business management, including business and information technology studies. Through ROTC, he became a U.S. citizen and was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard.

He accepted an engineering job in North Carolina after graduation, but quickly realized life behind a desk was not where he belonged.

“I found an engineering job in North Carolina, but after a couple months in an office, I decided to do something else,” he said. “Law enforcement came to mind. It was either firefighting or law enforcement. At first I thought it wasn’t possible, but I believed in myself and started reaching out to people I knew in law enforcement.”

He saw policing as an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.

“I wanted to help people and maybe turn their lives around,” he said.

With Army help, Tedjou identified law enforcement agencies hiring. The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office was among them.

In 2020, Sheriff Dusty Rhoades hired Tedjou and sent him to the police academy. Like all new deputies, he spent his first year assigned to the jail.

“I try to show hope to people, even when they’re in custody,” he said.

Today, Tedjou serves as a courthouse security deputy at the Williamson County Judicial Center. His long-term goal is to join the Criminal Warrants Division.

“It’s a blessing to be around other officers,” he said. “I’m looking forward to Criminal Warrants.”

His military service has continued alongside his law enforcement career.

In 2025, then-Army Capt. Tedjou deployed for nine months with the 7th Army Training Command to U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria in Grafenwöhr, Germany. Among the unit’s missions was helping train Ukrainian military personnel. Tedjou served as the food supply logistics officer for the dining facility.

During the deployment, he had the opportunity to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his wife, Charlotte.

Looking back on the journey that took him from Cameroon to Tennessee, Tedjou says he is grateful for the opportunities he has found in the United States.

“I’m enjoying being a first responder in the best country,” he said. “I’m glad to be an American. I’m so thankful. I couldn’t have done this without God’s glory.”