1.)  ARE THERE ANY MOMENTS THAT STOOD OUT OR YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT PLAYING YOUR MINOR FOOTBALL IN TORONTO AND BEING A JR. ARGO?
A: In 2015 going undefeated throughout the regular season was special. That was undoubtably one of the most talented sports teams I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. The entire season stood out to me as we were able to prove a lot of people wrong on a weekly basis and essentially make a near-championship run for the ages. 

2.)  WHO WERE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES GROWING UP?
A: My biggest influence growing up was my older brother. He was a Division I track and field athlete who used sports as a tool to obtain a free high-quality education. He attended George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. He is the reason I desired to become an athlete, but he is also the reason why I made it a goal to get a university education.

3.)  DID YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS OTHER THAN FOOTBALL IN HS OR DURING YOUR YOUTH?  HOW IMPORTANT WERE THEY TO YOUR OVERALL DEVELOPMENT AS AN ATHLETE?
A: I played basketball, volleyball, ran track and field, ultimate frisbee, swimming, and even did competitive dancing for a few years in high school. Doing all of these sports really gave me the ability to become a versatile athlete as my body became accustomed to playing so many different sports and doing so many different movements. I was never molded to doing just one thing. Playing different sports gave me the ability to essentially be an athletic Swiss Army knife.

4.) HOW IMPORTANT WAS SUMMER FOOTBALL TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER?
A: My high school never had a football team, so summer football was all I had. It was the only opportunity I had to put on pads, compete, and be coached.

5.)  TELL US ABOUT WHAT YOUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS WAS LIKE? WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU DID THAT YOU FELT PUT YOU IN THE BEST POSITION TO SUCCEED?
A: My recruiting process happened very fast. I first started playing football in the summer of 2014 and started getting recruited by schools in November of 2014. It was fun being able to visit schools and receive a more personalized introduction to athletic institutions, however, ultimately it came down the academic aspects of the institutions. Is this school going to put me in a position to be successful after football? Once I was able to answer that question, the decision became easy for me. At the end of the day, every football program has its fancy perks and attractions, but not every school has the academic and social resources to launch your life professionally.

6.)  WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUR PLAYERS NOW WHO ARE TRYING TO GET RECRUITED? KNOWING WHAT YOU LEARNED THROUGHOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
A: The only advice I would pass on is to make the quality of the academic institution and its programs your top priority. Football will only be prevalent in your life for a short amount of time (even if you go pro). However, your education and the things you learn in university will last forever as they will be the driving factors in how your life unfolds. Understand your passions outside of football, think about where you want to be professionally and make a well-educated decision.

7.) WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST ADJUSTMENT GOING FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO UNIVERSITY? BOTH ON THE FIELD AND OFF.
A: The biggest adjustment was balancing school with football. A lot of people don’t realize it, but football at the university level is essentially a full-time job. With that being said, you get a small amount of free time to juggle and have to be precise with how you spend it.

8.) WHAT WAS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING TIME WHERE YOU WERE FACED WITH ADVERSITY EITHER ON OR OFF THE FIELD IN YOUR COLLEGIATE CAREER?
A: When I was in my first year of university, I broke my fibula and tibia (Paul George leg break). It was a challenge not only for the obvious reason of going through a severe injury, but it also posed as a challenge academically because it took away time from my studies. It was hard to manage recovering from an injury while studying at one of the most academically-challenging universities in the world.

9.) YOU WENT THROUGH A POSITION SWITCH DURING YOUR TIME AT WATERLOO, WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THAT AND WHAT WOULD YOU TELL A YOUNG ATHLETE WHO MAY BE FACING THE SAME CHANGE?
A: My biggest takeaway was to always be open to change. I played receiver for three years and loved it, but I never actually thrived at the position. I had to put my emotions aside and examine what was best for me as a football player going forward. That’s when I made the switch to DB. It ended up being the best decision of my football career and made me wish I had made the switch earlier. I went from three years of underachieving to suddenly surpassing a lot my personal goals as a football player in one year. Be open to change. It can be intimidating entering waters that are unfamiliar to you, however with a strong work ethic, success is never out of reach.

10.) WITH THE MAJORITY OF TACKLE FOOTBALL BEING CANCELLED AT ALL LEVELS WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE PLAYERS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW?
A: Take this time to truly think about what you want life after football to look like. The reality is, I have been around people who were so focused on football, that they neglected taking the time to plan out the next stages of their life. Once their career came to end, they were confused and lost. Do not be that person! Use this time wisely, because the things you do this year can truly shape the next 10-15 years of your life.

11.) SINCE YOUR TIME AT WATERLOO YOU HAVE BEEN BUILDING UP YOUR DIGITAL MEDIA COMPANY, PRSVRE. TELL US ABOUT THAT AND WHAT YOU AIM TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS BRAND.
A: PRSVRE is Canada’s fastest growing sports-media company that aims to showcase and celebrate Canadian collegiate sports. We do this by using our social media platforms to cover Canadian collegiate sports while introducing Canadian sports fans to collegiate athletes and coaches from coast to coast. Recently we’ve also made a pivot towards using our platforms for social justice education as we aim to use sports to amplify the voices of oppressed ethnic communities.

Within the next 12 months we have a lot of projects planned (hopefully programs, hopefully paid internships, possibly scholarships), however I’d say the overarching goal would be to continue growing the brand and dominating the collegiate sports-media niche market here in Canada. Canadian collegiate sports are severely overlooked from a media standpoint. My goal is to continue legitimizing collegiate sports within this country, expanding my reach, delivering high-quality educational content and ultimately creating a spotlight that brings pride to our nations hardworking athletes.

Instagram: @prsvre_
Twitter: @prsvre_
Website: https://www.prsvre.com/aboutus 

12.) IN YOUR ROLE WITH THE BLACK CANADIAN COACHES ASSOCIATION, WHAT KIND OF INITIATIVES IS THE ASSOCIATION TAKING IN ORDER TO CREATE RACIAL EQUITY? WHERE CAN OUR READERS LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS?
A: The BCCA essentially seeks to create racial equity in Canadian collegiate sports by working with U Sports and CCAA to help those leagues get better understanding of what can be done to level the playing field for BIPOC athletes while creating more opportunities for professional growth for BIPOC coaches.
A lot of projects at the moment aren’t necessarily public yet, so I don’t think I can discuss them, but one project that is being launched tomorrow (has since launched) is a Black Female Mentorship program that aims to pair young Black Females aspiring to get into coaching, with some of Canada’s top Black Female collegiate coaches. 
As the manager of media and marketing, my role is to mainly engage in content creation for media and marketing initiatives. I also run the main article series called “Beyond the Sidelines” which aims to share the stories of BIPOC Trailblazers in the Canadian sports community which is done in partnership with PRSVRE. With that being said, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing some of the nation’s top coaches and being able to share their stories. 
If people are interested in learning more, they can visit thebcca.com

13.) KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW, IF YOU COULD SAY ONE THING, TO YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A: I’d definitely tell my 18-year-old self to just be open to change. Change can be life changing. Be open to change.

14.) WHAT DOES LIFE AFTER UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
A: I aspire to dedicating my life towards three social values.

Being an educator.
Being an innovator.
Being a difference maker.

I aspire to go to teacher’s college and follow my goals of becoming a high-school teacher.
In addition, I aim to continue growing the PRSVRE platform and using it to create opportunities for youth from low-income communities to grow athletically and professionally.
Finally, I aim to dedicate the next chapter of my life towards creating the next generation of young leaders while using my personal platforms to uplift silenced and at-risk communities.



Interview conducted by Lawrence Hopper