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Adebo Falase didn’t know what football was just a few years ago.
Now the standout defensive lineman at Riffel High School in Regina is being recruited to play at the next level.
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“It wasn’t something I was interested in at first. I wouldn’t say I was forced to but (athletic director Derek) Pilon took my phone and signed me up for everything,” Falase said.
“What made me stay was the people after. They are so nice to me and taught me everything. All the coaches really focused on me.”
When Pilon first talked to Falase about football, he originally told the coach he was a soccer player.
“I was like, ‘You’re 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, that’s not a soccer player, that’s a football player,’” Pilon said. “It’s all worked out, so it’s been great.”
His family moved to Saskatchewan from Lagos, Nigeria, about four years ago.
“We moved in February, so it was really bad – it was so cold. It was something we got over but I knew nothing about anything. We had to stay in the house for two weeks with COVID at the time and all that stuff,” Falase said. “Everything seemed easier when I made friends and started going to school and all that.
“I underestimated (the cold). My mom told me she had been here before and she was like, ‘It’s going to be really cold,’ and I told her I’d be fine. I wore a long-sleeve shirt and that’s all I wore – it was so cold, it was bad. It was probably the worst winter I’ve had.”
Adebo Falase (77) was scouted due to his size and the switch to football paid off as he became a leader for the Riffel Royals. (Derek Pilon/Submitted)
When he told his mom he was playing football, she thought he was out on the pitch kicking a soccer ball around.
“I played soccer my whole life and coming here, she didn’t come to the first couple of my games. Maybe for my third game, she said she was coming to my game and didn’t know what it was — I think she thought it was soccer,” the Grade 12 student said.
“In Grade 8, I was so excited to come and play soccer for Riffel, but things change and now it’s straight football.”
Pilon has been the football coach at Riffel for a decade.
Pilon said Falase stood out right away.
“He’s a big guy and we don’t have a lot of big guys. When you see kids walking the hallways that are big and seeing him in the gym and his athleticism for how big he is was pretty impressive. He has some quick feet and is pretty athletic and that translated to the football field,” Pilon said.
Pilon said it actually didn’t take much convincing to get him onto the field.
“He was all in for (spring camp) and obviously it was a very good decision on his half,” Pilon said.
When it comes to football, Pilon said it’s great to see kids from all different backgrounds find the sport and get involved.
“Develop the passion of the sport and see them be successful and develop a love of football. That’s definitely Adebo’s case. His first year trying to figure out what the sport really was and then seeing him excel,” Pilon said.
“Not only excel with his play but his leadership too. He really stepped up with his leadership qualities and bringing guys along and showcasing what it means to be a Riffel Royal, which is awesome.”
Falase was originally on the offensive line, but they eventually moved him to the defensive side.
“It’s pretty damn fun (hitting quarterbacks),” Falase said.
“This year, I got doubled a lot, so it was harder for me, but all the other years with me one-on-one and going after that quarterback, it was really fun.”
While he credits the people for staying with the sport, he also enjoys the physicality.
“Like Pilon always says, it’s an excuse to go hit someone in the face and smash someone; it’s really fun to do that. It’s fun for me to be good and show these people and coaches praising me,” Falase said.
While he’s only played football for a short period of time, the play he put on tape has caught the attention of U Sports and junior football programs.
As a kid in a new country, he said sports have taught him a lot.
“It’s taught me to be disciplined, to stay focused and all that stuff. It has taught me how to make new friends, especially with the new guys on the football team. This year, I had the chance to be a captain and introduce the new guys to how we act and how we are here,” Falase said. “It’s just a big community thing.”
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