Adeleke finally saddles up with Stampeders
Tunde Adeleke knew what it looked like when the Calgary Stampeders announced they’d signed seven of their eight picks from the 2017 CFL draft.
Adeleke, of course, was the only draft pick who hadn’t signed with the team when the announcement was made last week. There wasn’t much time left before rookie camp opened, so questions spread about what exactly was going on.
Turns out there was never anything to worry about. Adeleke signed a contract with the Stampeders Wednesday and was on the field at McMahon Stadium for the start of rookie camp Thursday morning.
“I guess it was kind of a late signing, but this was my first time being in this situation and I didn’t think it was an issue to take my time,” Adeleke said after the first of Thursday’s two rookie camp training sessions. “I saw one of those posts on Twitter and I was like, ‘Oh God, I guess I’d better hurry up,’ but I just took my time and I knew I was coming here, I was committed to the team and I was happy they drafted me.”
Like many of the first-year players at Stamps rookie camp, Adeleke remains something of an unknown quantity to most fans and media. The one thing everyone is absolutely sure of is the Stampeders think highly of him.
The team chose Adeleke in the third round, 25th overall, of the draft earlier this month after he posted the fastest time in the 40yard dash at the CFL Combine.
President and general manager John Hufnagel described Adeleke as a kick returner at the time and that’s the position where the 21-year-old earned All-Canadian and first-team Ontario University Athletics honours in 2015 and ’16.
Over four seasons at Carleton University, though, Adeleke did a lot more than just return punts and kickoffs as he was a second-team OUA all-star in both ’14 and ’16 at defensive back.
“I hope to make an impact anywhere I can, whether it’s on specials, as a returner or on defence, that would be amazing,” Adeleke said. “I’ve got to pull my weight, I’ve got nothing behind me that makes me better than anyone, so I know there are a lot of things that I need to do to be able to play on this team and make a difference on a team like this.”
Adeleke faces a steep learning curve as he only arrived in Calgary Wednesday and was greeted by the frigid monsoon that blasted the city. There are adjustments to make, both personally as he settles into a new city and on the field as he gets used to the speed and complexity of the professional game.
His contract is signed, though, and that’s the first step.
“I’m here, I love being here and I’m committed to the team,” Adeleke said.
MERCHANT SOAKING IT IN
The surroundings might be new, but at least when Chris Merchant looked around McMahon Stadium on Thursday, there was a familiar face out there with him.
Merchant, a Calgarian who plays quarterback for the Western University Mustangs, is attending the Stampeders’ training camp as part of the CFL-U Sports quarterback development program.
It can all be a little surreal for a Calgary kid to be taking snaps on the same field he grew up watching from the stands, but at least it’s not Merchant’s first time on the field with head coach Dave Dickenson.
Growing up, Merchant attended a couple of the Dickenson Passing Academy camps and even helped coach young aspiring quarterbacks a few years ago.
“I’ve kind of known coach Dickenson since I was a little kid,” Merchant said. “He said I could come out to camp and kind of learn, so I’m having a great time and just trying to take in everything and be a sponge.”
Merchant was the top Canadian quarterback recruit in 2014 after a high school career that started at Calgary’s Western Canada High School before he transferred to St. Andrew’s College, an elite private school in the Toronto suburbs.
He spent two years with the University at Buffalo Bulls, an NCAA Division 1 team, before transferring to Western before the 2016 school year and he’ll return to the London, Ont., school in the fall for a couple more seasons.
And while he may not have been star-struck when he was taking snaps in front of Dickenson on Thursday, Merchant admitted it was surreal to be on the same field as some of the other quarterbacks who were around.
“For sure, especially with (Andrew) Buckley being out here and looking up to him, with him being a few years older than me,” said Merchant, who is wearing double zero on his uniform in honour of late Stamps great Ezzrett “Sugarfoot” Anderson. “Being on the same field as him and learning from Bo (Levi Mitchell) and all those guys, it’s kind of just a really good opportunity for me. I’m kind of living the dream right now.”