Darren Zary
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
Ajou Ajou wasn’t quite ready to leave Saskatchewan.
He had one last hockey — yes, hockey — game to squeeze in.
Not any old hockey game, but the third annual Saskatchewan Roughriders Winter Classic charity hockey game at Merlis Belsher Place in Saskatoon.
Although he’ll be headed to the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts in May for OTAs (organized team activities) after signing a contract with the NFL club back in late January, Ajou Ajou is still “representing” the Saskatchewan Roughriders, to some degree.
He feels he owes them that much.
“Man, words can’t explain how grateful I am (to the Roughriders organization),” admits Ajou, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound receiver who had 20 catches for 307 yards and two touchdowns as a Riders rookie last season.
“Shout-out to (Riders general manager) Jeremy O’Day, to big (Riders head coach Corey) Mace, all the fans. Man, I came to this province and you guys welcomed me with open arms. Like, everywhere I go, it’s just smiles. Smiles. Smiles. Like, ‘Ajou-Ajou, how are you doing?’ And I’ll sit there and I’ll talk 30 minutes. I don’t care who it is because I’ve got time. You got time for me. I fell to the seventh round (of the CFL draft)… I just want to give back any way I can, any way I can.”
The Riders gave Ajou a chance after a collegiate career took him from Clemson University to South Florida University and Garden City Community College.
“It means everything (to represent the Riders),” says Ajou, who grew up in Brooks, Alta.. “It means everything. When I say Rider Nation, I bleed green. I bleed green forever. When it’s all said and done, if I go down south and everything happens the way it’s supposed to happen and I have a great (NFL) career, I’m coming right back here and I’m going to retire as a Roughrider, surely! You know that.”
The Colts signed Ajou to a reserve/futures contract.
“It’s amazing — it’s a dream come true,” he says of the opportunity. “I’ve been thinking about this since second grade. Now we’re here and we’ve got to make the most of the opportunity.
“Do what I’ve got to do and I’m just trying to stay ready. I’ve got to get ready and, God willing, give it my best shot.”
In the last 12 months, Ajou was drafted in the Canadian Football League, played one season, gets signed by the NFL’s Colts and now found himself coaching a hockey game.
Would he have believed that a year ago?
“I would have said hockey game, what are we doing right now? It’s insane,” he says with a chuckle. “It’s been a crazy journey, man. A crazy journey, but it’s just the beginning. I’m just grateful. I’m just grateful.”
Ajou, just 23, has actually been on skates and played some hockey.
“Yes sir, yes sir. You know that. Don’t worry, I wanted to play (in the Winter Classic). I wanted to play. But I didn’t want to do those boys dirty like that. I’ll just sit on the sideline and coach them up, try to get this done.”
He played one year of hockey as a youth while growing up in Brooks, where he was a fan of the Brooks Bandits junior hockey team. (“You know that — Brooks Bandits all the way. Oh, yeah.”)
He played defence in hockey before becoming a star on offence in football.
And coaching experience? No problem.
“I coached basketball. I coached a little bit of soccer here and there, so I mean as long as I can motivate these guys to go out there and run through a brick wall, we’ll be alright.”
His motivation tools?
“A lot of yelling. A lot of vulgar language, for surely,” Ajou joked. “If (former NHL enforcer) Joe (Kocur) is on my team, I’m going to tell him right away to establish dominance right away if you need to fight.
“We’re playing for a good cause, the youth in this program. It’s just going to be an amazing time, an amazing game we’re going to put on for the W, baby.”
Finally, who would win a race between Ajou Ajou and fellow Winter Classic coach and reciver Kian Schaffer-Baker?
Ajou Ajou doesn’t hesitate.
“Me. 100 per cent me. I’m sorry. I’m taking that dawg, for sure. I could skate backwards and give him a little shimmy (and hand wave) too.”
dzary@postmedia.com
