Coming in at 6-foot-2 and weighing a muscular 250 pounds, Ese Mrabure-Ajufo would be the first to tell you that his best attributes as a player are his size and athleticism. Playing at defensive end when Ajufo first started for the Laurier Golden Hawks, he was able to succeed on these attributes alone.  However, to get to a level where he became a top CIS prospect he would need to do more. And a coach for the Golden Hawks helped him do that.

“The biggest impact would have to be our (former) d-line coach, Anthony Cannon.  He coached the d-line for a year and I don't know what it was but he just kind of amped my game up.  Third year was kind of the turning point for me and I owe it to him,” Ajufo told TSN of the former Argonaut player turned coach.  “Looking back on my game film, I was really timid. He came in, and just turned something on to just go, go, go.  He really taught me how to read the o-linemen, read formations, and just reaction, everything completely changed.”

The numbers show that as well as Ajufo’s tackle totals jumped from 10 in 2012 to 25.5 in 2013.  His 2013 season put him on CFL teams’ radars as he was invited to the East/West prospects game.  In 2014 he continued his strong play, being named a conference all-star and getting listed as one of the CFL’s Top 20 prospects. 

Along with coach Cannon, Ajufo was also inspired by a former teammate who was a first round pick in the CFL Draft.

“Shamawd Chambers. He plays a totally different position, he plays receiver but he definitely has a big impact from a player's perspective,” Ajufo said.  “He showed me the ropes around Laurier campus, I would always see him in the gym working hard.  I saw him on the field making plays.  Outside of games I saw him training for E-camp and stuff like that so that definitely helped in my first year.”  

Ajufo started playing football in the 9th grade but it was a slow start into the game.  His parents immigrated to Canada from Nigeria and like many newcomers to Canada, their first impressions of the game were not positive, especially Mom’s.

“As most Mother's first impression would be, it was a straight no, no, no,” Ajufo said, laughing.  “That's why in Grade 9 and 10 I only played about 2-3 weeks on the team.  My Dad kind of convinced her, so she kind of turned a new leaf.  She stills comes to the games and after the game she'll say I saw you do this and I got so worried and closed my eyes.  She's still getting used to it.”

Having convinced his mother to let him play, Ajufo showed an aptitude for the game mainly because of his size and athleticism.  The first generation Canadian played other sports like soccer and basketball and this allowed him to develop into the athlete he became.  His success translated on the football field where he made the jump to the CIS, where he had to adjust to the higher level of football.  Now with a chance to make another jump, this time to the CFL, Ajufo looked again to his former teammate, Chambers, for guidance on his preparation for the CFL Combine earlier this month.

“I think back to seeing him grinding every day, all day, in the gym and on the field,” Ajufo remembered.  “I'm like 'my turn now'.  He told me when I was in my first year he said all the stuff I'm doing, make sure you remember because it's going to be your turn soon and you need to do the same stuff, even better so you can get to where you need to go.  I definitely keep that in mind all the time.”

Ajufo showed his explosiveness at the Combine this past weekend, putting in a sub-five 40 (4.84) and topping all the defensive linemen with a 33-inch vertical. He was most looking forward to interviews he had with CFL teams, as he believed his character will shine through.

“I want to leave the room and I want them to think ‘wow, what a real genuine person, outside of football.’  They’re going to see me inside of football but I want them to also meet Ese outside of football.”

Our next player profile will be on Calgary slotback Jake Harty, the 19th ranked prospect in the 2015 CFL Draft.