When you’re a sporty kid in Leaside, you’re bound to spend time in the arena, Trace Manes, the pool and/or Talbot Park.
Peter Adjey did just that. As a hockey goalie and baseball player, Adjey participated in Leaside sports with many of his local friends.
But Adjey had two other sports he was even more passionate about.
He would spend hours upon hours mountain biking in Sunnybrook Park and beyond. He also discovered the sport of football (as in, the North American variety). While the two sports are vastly different from each other in so many ways, Adjey points out that he loved the “dichotomy” of a multiplayer game versus the solo experience on his bike.
At the age of 11, the Northlea student approached his mom Laura with a request to join a football league. Immediately on board, Laura registered her son and helped launch him on a life-changing journey.
Watching televised CFL, NFL and CIS (Canadian university) football as a kid, Adjey was a devoted fan of the game. He played as a long snapper in various leagues around the city while in grade school and at Leaside High with the Lancers. He also played with the Toronto Jr. Argos after 12th grade.
While no university team recruited Adjey right out of high school, he wasn’t about to give up. In fact, his Leaside High School coaches emboldened Adjey to continue pursuing his dreams.
“Coaches Georgiadis, Vegh and Wilson were always very encouraging and it was their messaging in confidence that motivated me to approach the team at Queen’s (University),” he notes.
Adjey landed the position at Queen’s and worked hard both in the classroom and on the field with the Queen’s Gaels, honing his skills.
All his persistence paid off when, in 2022, he was drafted by the Edmonton Elks of the CFL and earned the long snapper starting position at training camp. Adjey played in every game of the past two seasons and picked up multiple special teams’ tackles.
Now in the off-season, the humbly confident and highly skilled 24-year-old is diligently following his team’s workout schedule and looking forward to his third year in the league.
Watch him in action when the 2024-2025 CFL season kicks off this spring. This Leaside kid is a big winner.
