When Famous Aghayere moved to Canada from Nigeria in 2019, he knew right away that he wanted to play football.
“I remember when I was in Nigeria, my friends and I would always watch little clips of NFL players and just football in general. Some of us would be like oh, it looks easy. All you have to do is run and make people miss, basically. We didn’t know the rules,” he said with a chuckle.
“Then, my sister’s friend, her brother was on the team, [quarterback[ Valentine [Adedeji-Afeye], who recently got to Canada a few years before I did. I was like, you know what, let me join.”
Aghayere went to practices all summer and played in the team’s first four games of the 2019 season as a defensive back, but left the squad before the season ended. He was slacking off in school, and wanted to focus on his academics, but he also admitted that he was simply “being lazy” and at times selfish.
He told head coach John Kiesman, a former ANAVETS Bowl champion and U SPORTS quarterback, that he was hurt, but Kiesman could tell he was lying. Instead of giving up on Aghayere, the bench boss kept encouraging him, insisting that the sport could teach him valuable lessons, both on and off the gridiron, while also providing an opportunity for opportunities after high school.
After taking some time to reflect, Aghayere returned to the team in grade 11, noting that “I wanted to prove myself and I didn’t want to quit.” He spent the winter doing workouts and speed training with the team, but was dealt a significant blow when the tackle season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the past, Aghayere might’ve folded up shop, knowing that there wasn’t going to be a season, but not this time. With the words of his head coach still entrenched in his mind, he went to work in the summer. Alumni Stephen Ugbah and Andrew Ricard, both of whom played U SPORTS football after high school, were critical mentors during this time and reiterated key values of determination, commitment and hard work, even through tough times.
“I think the biggest thing is just helping them realize their potential. When I was a young kid, I was looking for ways to challenge myself and I didn’t want to do just the bare minimum. Some of these kids are that way. It’s just great to be able to help them realize if they really want to play university ball, yeah it’s going to be hard work, but if you want to do that, you can,” Ricard said.
“If they have role models in their life who tell them hey, you can do this, they most likely will go chase it. But if they have people who are like oh, nah, then they won’t, because they won’t have the confidence to go chase it. It’s just about helping challenge themselves more and more.”
Ugbah was particularly critical in Aghayere’s development as a receiver. The fellow Nigeria native, who worked with the team three times a week in the morning, helped him learn to catch the ball with his hands instead of his body. In terms of his coaching style, he was stern, but fair for a squad that featured a number of first-year international players.
“We all have similar backgrounds. Some are from Nigeria and most of them are immigrants. I let them know this is how it’s going to be. No one is going to give them anything, you have to earn everything. When they aren’t playing as good as I think they can – I’m not going to expect unreasonable – but when they’re not showing up on time or busting a coverage, I’m going to get on you. I’m like that whether they’re a senior or a grade ten.”
That fall and the following summer, Aghayere tested his skills as a member of the G-Men in the Pro Prep Flag Football League. Lining up at receiver and running back, he dealt with growing pains during the league’s inaugural season in September of 2020. If he wasn’t thrown the ball or if he or a teammate messed up, he’d get frustrated and lose his temper. But week after week, his composure improved.
By the time the summer league came around, Aghayere was a game-changer. A track and field sprinter during his teenage years in Nigeria, he flashed his speed all season long and was named an all-star at receiver. More importantly, he developed chemistry with his teammates, which included fellow all-star Adedeji-Afeye, who’d developed into a mature quarterback after never playing the position prior to 2020. The G-Men overcame a tough start to the season and wound up winning the summer league thanks in part to the dynamic duo from Nigeria.
“The team was important, obviously. I felt like it was an opportunity for me and some of my other teammates to prove that we were good, because most of our team was JV players,” Aghayere said.
“The thing I learned from Pro Prep, is that you can’t doubt people just because of their actions. I remember at the start, we had a lot of problems going on within our team, but we figured it out and some of us manned up and owned up to our mistakes and made up for it by making big plays.”
The return of tackle football
Tackle football returned this fall, and so did Aghayere, whose attitude towards the game, and life in general, has done a complete 180 since 2019. He was named a captain as a senior, and helped organize 16 weeks worth of morning workouts prior to the season.
“I realized that I actually cared about people,” he said.
“Ever since I joined the team, it’s all been a brotherhood and a family. We make sure that we’re there for each other no matter what, and we have each other’s backs. Any time we have a problem within our team, we usually fix it right away. That’s something that I really like. We have a lot of traditions that we want to continue on for future generations, and that’s something that really keeps me inspired.”
On the field, Aghayere has been an unstoppable force. His speed and physicality have been on display all year, including in the team’s 32-6 week one win over Kelvin, where the receiver and running back scored his first-ever touchdown.
It’s the first of many Aghayere has produced this year, and he doesn’t shy away from contact. In fact, the 5’11”, 170-pound playmaker seeks it out, frequently still-arming defenders while also creating holes for Adedeji-Afeye in wildcat situations.
“Our very first game against Kelvin, I got my first touchdown and I was so happy. One of my teammate’s dads got a video of it, and I’ll forever cherish that because it was my first-ever touchdown playing tackle football. I still have it saved on my phone,” noted the versatile threat who’s also a returner.
“I like the energy so much, and I like the physicality and all the mental side. Being patient is something that I’m still getting used to, but I am respectful. I respect my coaches, my teammates, my teachers. I respect Valentine a lot. He’s my quarterback and I have to protect him. I don’t let anyone touch my quarterback.”
Kiesman feels that Aghayere has a future in the sport after high school. More importantly though, he’s seen how the game has helped him develop future skills for life.
“Aside from his awesome athleticism, it has been great to watch how he has developed as an intense competitor. These past few years he’s done a great job using the fire he has as fuel, not just when he’s on the football field but when he gets up early to train or stays locked in while in class,” he said.
“I’m proud of how he and the guys in his class have learned the game of football and are playing it the right way. I’m looking forward to seeing them continue to mature and grow into the student-athletes we know they can be.”