Calgary Stampeders vs Ottawa REDBLACKS June 15, 2023 PHOTO: André Ringuette/Freestyle Photography
If you’re a fan of clichés, then you know that life is all about the journey, not the destination.
Flipping through the pages of the hypothetical book about the life of Ottawa REDBLACKS quarterback Tyrie Adams, you’ll find a path different than many. He played his college football with the Western Carolina Catamounts, an FCS school, where he suited up in 44 games, before becoming the all-time leader in Western Carolina history in career completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offensive yards, all while finishing as the quarterback with the most rushing yards in program history.
He then pursued a professional career playing arena football with the Salina Liberty in Champions Indoor Football, before he was brought to Canada for his next opportunity with the REDBLACKS.
Adams spent 2022 learning in many ways. Whether it was learning to be a CFL quarterback from Jeremiah Masoli, or life advice from Head Coach Bob Dyce, he soaked it all up, and as he’s ready to make his first start in the league, he’s leaning on everything he has put in his toolkit in the short year plus a few months.
“It means a lot [to have] this opportunity now, and also for my future,” Adams said. “It’s the coaches, the organization, and everyone else showing me that they believe in me, and I want to go out and get a win [for them].”
When he first arrived in Canada, Adams knew immediately the CFL was going to be a great fit for his skill set. With a cannon of an arm paired with the mobility that earned him the nickname “Houdini,” he has captured the interest of REDBLACKS fans, who are pining for the opportunity to see what he can do.
Away from the field, however, the transition wasn’t easy. Moving to Canada for the first time, and living on a CFL salary proved difficult, as Adams struggled to find the right combination of enjoying himself, and saving for the future.
“I was spending a little too much money last year, and that had a lot to do with Uber Eats and stuff like that,” he explained. “It was my first year, so I was balling out a little bit. It’s a beautiful thing once you learn how you want to manage your funds. I’ve been a lot more responsible.”
A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Adams has never experienced a Canadian winter, but plans on sticking around deep into the season this year.
“I’m ready to experience that this year,” Adams said. “I don’t think I’ll be leaving here until I experience that, and we want to do that by making it to the playoffs and moving on.”
After a bye week where Adams had the chance to watch plenty of film on what he described as his first disappointing outing in the league, he’s ready to tweak a couple of things to get the best out of himself, and the offence as a whole.
“I learned to trust myself and my teammates more,” Adams said. “That was the biggest thing. I need to go out there with the utmost confidence in myself, the play call, and the guys around me. We’re going out there to make something happen. We have a great game plan, and as long as we stick to it, no one needs to do anything special.”
He has also seen plenty of tape on the Edmonton Elks, but says that whatever they throw at him, he’ll be prepared.
“I just feel comfortable playing,” Adams said. “If Edmonton wants to drop back in coverage, I’ll sit back and make plays the whole time. Anything they do, I feel comfortable [countering], it’s just going to be going out there and executing.”
Always the underdog, Adams has been a player – and person – who snatches every chance, and although he hopes this leads to more, he’s trusting the journey.
“I’ve started to build a future for myself,” Adams said. “Not so much as my playing time goes, but just understanding the Canadian game and what I have to do. It has been a great year and a half so far, and I want to build on it.”
