A lot of hard work has paid off for Gananoque’s Zack Pelehos, as Tuesday night he was selected in the CFL Draft, second overall, by the Ottawa Redblacks.
He’s 6 foot 6, weights 300 pounds and at the Canadian Football League Combine he was the fastest offensive linesman over a span of 40-yards.
“It didn’t set in right away,” Pelehos says. “This morning when I woke up I pinched my skin a little bit just to make sure that it was actually a real situation, that I did go second overall.”
And everyone at Gananoque Secondary School was beaming with pride after the former G.S.S. Trojan was taken.
“It’s very, very exciting to know that one of our own has achieved such a pinnacle and something the he always dreamed about,” says G.S.S. Athletic Director Jane Clark. “And I think it just goes to show you that perseverance and determination regardless of where you come from can certainly pay dividends.”
Sean Clark coached Pelehos with the high school Trojans.
“Always figured and realized that the talent was there, especially when you saw it translate when he went to the University of Ottawa,” says Sean. “I would say that early on you saw that size, but then you saw that talent. So I think they’re getting a good one for sure.”
The massive lineman cut his football teeth at G.S.S. and in Kingston with the Junior Grenadiers.
“When I’m not on the football field I’m a very nice guy,” says Pelehos. “I’m a people person, I’m going to please everybody possibly. When I’m on that field though, I’m an aggressive guy and I’m going to bring the pain as much as I can. So you don’t want to line up across from me, I’ll say that.”
And not only will he bring the pain, he’ll also bring fans to the nation’s capital.
Ottawa Redblacks will definitely sell more tickets from the Gananoque community,” Trojan’s football coach Chad Haffie says. “I just purchased season tickets this morning myself. There’ll be a lot of local support for him.”
“There has been from the time he played TMFL, to the Grenadiers, to the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s, and it’s not going to go anywhere now that he’s playing professional that’s for sure.”
Canadian Football League training camps get underway later this month.
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