Olumayowa Olutungase-Real Man Strength

Real-Man Strength
Jonas Emilsson

This time last year Bowness Trojans’ Olumayowa Olutungase, or Moe as he’s called by his teammates, never entertained the thought of playing high school football.

He was too busy playing some hoops with his friends and, more impressively, auditioning as a singer and dancer for the Young Canadians, catching their eye enough to earn himself a spot with the performing arts group.
Moe

It’s probably safe to assume that most football players could never moonlight as a singer or dancer, but if the opportunity came up his four years of performance experience give him the skills to step up and belt out a few tunes.

And even though he voluntarily put the Young Canadians gig temporarily on hold, he still gets to fulfill his passion for singing in the school choir, where he sings tenor.

Fast forward 12 months and the story has made a 180 degree turn.

After listening to some of his football-playing friends hound him non stop to at least try to strap on the pads and give the game of football a shot, he finally obliged them by trying out for the team.

Meet Moe in person, and it becomes clear why his teammates wanted him on their side.

The kid stands 6’2”, weighs in at a solid 206 pounds, runs like a track star, and he has the strength of a bull.

“He’s got real man strength, not weight-room strength,” says Trojans’ head coach, Paul Kerber.

Even though he plays the nose tackle position, it would be easy to mistake him for a linebacker or defensive end because of the way he uses his speed to drop back and chase running backs.

Moe’s size makes him a natural for the nose tackle position where he has helped their vaunted defense make life miserable for anybody carrying the ball.

To learn more about the game of football Moe likes to sit down and catch as much CFL action as possible, which he claims helps him to get fired up for upcoming games.
Moe

Besides watching the game on TV, Moe is all ears in practice trying to soak in as much football intelligence as possible.

“Our coaches have practiced me pretty hard,” says Moe, a soft-spoken 16-year old.

As any football player will claim, the game is an extremely challenging game where experience counts for a lot.

Moe is a great kid and he’s trying hard learning a brand new sport,” says Kerber. “Especially being one (sport) he’s never really seen before. I think he’s excited to be here.”

And when it comes to talking about the game it’s clear he understands what football is all about.

“I just like tackling,” says the grade-12 student. “I like making plays to help the team out.”

Moe’s ability to pick up the game at a high level this quickly is due in large to his natural athletic ability and his willingness to learn everything possible about the game he now loves.

“He’s learning the game and he’s starting to understand the concept of the defensive line,” says Kerber. “Hopefully he can pick that up and then pick up a couple more concepts on the defensive end because his body definitely screams football player.”

Kerber believes that if Moe applies himself to the game and gains some more experience after he graduates this year that he could potentially find a spot at the next level.

“He’s big, he’s strong and he’s fast and if he keeps learning the game he’ll have an opportunity,” says the coach. “It may mean going and playing for the Colts for two years.”

KRAM 5 with Moe
What type pf music do you listen to? R&B
Are you a CFL or NFL fan? NFL
What is your favorite pre-game meal? Burgers
What is your favorite NFL team? The Bears
What is your favorite TV show? Smallville

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