I could make a case that football saved my life.

You could say I wasn’t the most well-behaved kid, getting in trouble a lot and heading in the wrong direction. Football helped me stay on track and build life-long relationships that I will cherish forever. I used the sport as an outlet to stay in shape and out of trouble while growing up in Surrey, B.C., and it gave me perspective when I was lost. It challenged me to grow. 

My senior season in high school at Saint Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby was a disappointment. I wasn’t getting recruited and when I left, I was both terrified and disappointed.

I turned my attention to junior football with the focus of getting a scholarship to play U Sports (then known as CIS). Two years with the Big Kahuna Rams in White Rock, B.C., resulted in no shortage of grinding through injuries and fighting for playing time. 

Still, there was no interest from any Canadian schools.

One day, I decided to tag along with my brother Kofi to a University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds pre-season throw around. After running routes, winning some reps in one-on-one, and making a few one-handed catches, I managed to grab the attention of UBC quarterback Billy Greene and coach Shawn Olson. 

It worked, as after the practice coach asked if I would like to come to UBC.

Then came time to upgrade all of my courses to get a high enough GPA to meet the standard, which I finished online in Surrey in about five or six months. 

In September 2012, I was officially a Thunderbird.

My mother, Jacinta, always wanted me to go to school and didn't care about me pursuing sports unless it meant a better education. She was always there for my brothers and I and built an excellent foundation for us, even though our situation wasn't always the greatest. She was a nurse and wanted me to pursue health sciences just as my grandfather did. She named me after him, so I believe it meant a lot to her.

When I told my mother that I wanted to study arts instead, she said to give it everything I had. 

During my first year at UBC, I ended up being a red-shirt player and didn’t play in a single regular-season game. It was tough for me because I gave it everything I had on every rep in practice, but couldn’t seem to get my coach’s attention. I was also struggling in school and trying to balance student life with football became extremely difficult. 

I decided to walk away from both football and school after that season to take some time off. I had to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

After a year or so, I decided to go back to UBC to pursue acting and film. I also wanted to further build upon my love for style and fashion. These were passions that I inherited over the years from friends, family and icons in both sport and football. 

My mother told me, “Don't just try to be the best "Black" stylist or actor -- strive to be the best.” 

That stuck with me.

In my third year, I started going out for auditions throughout the province. I ended up booking a role on the CW Network's The Flash, which felt amazing to be wanted. That led to a national U.S. Hyundai commercial and then a role on the History Channel's Project Blue Book. 

There wasn't a secret formula; I was just finding out what made me happy. I was learning to balance the things that I cared about and thus my career trended towards a marriage of sport, culture, and entertainment. 

If I hadn’t already been a part of the football community, I would have never been introduced to NFL phenom Chase Claypool.

I met Chase’s brother Jacob when I was playing football at UBC. We both played receiver and built a pretty close relationship over the years. Jacob kept telling me about his brother Chase and how good of a football player he was becoming. 

Apart from Jacob, I kept hearing about Chase Claypool through the grapevine. After checking out one of his high school games in my neighbourhood, it was evident that he was a unicorn. 

Chase took his talent to South Bend, Indiana after graduating from Abbotsford Senior Secondary to become part of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Chase and I became good friends and I was able to witness his progression as a collegiate star. That quickly transitioned to realizing he was a once-in-a-generation talent that would soon translate to historic success on and off the gridiron.

When I think of fashion, one word stands out: versatility. Switching up multiple styles for occasions or just for fun is something I admire and, ironically, versatility represents not only Chase's style, but also his game on the field. 

Initial conversations about fashion started with him in his junior year at Notre Dame. Chase had an interest in expressing himself in this way and together we created some dope fits. 

And then I got word about his Jordan Brand endorsement.

I was so excited and proud of him. I believe every athlete, regardless of which sport, dreams about being sponsored by Michael Jordan. In my opinion, the Jordan Brand is the most exclusive brand to be sponsored by in sport. In the NFL, 23 players have had the honour of wearing the “Jumpman” logo on Sundays. 

Chase is the only Canadian. 

He told me the brand liked his taste in fashion, something that played a minor role in the Jordan Brand approaching him. To hear that I may have had a small part in this historical partnership as his stylist was a dream come true.

Since then, I’ve chatted and collaborated with people and brands in the industry that I look up to. Beyond Jordan and Nike, this upcoming season we will be working with some local Vancouver stores to ensure Chase is styling on Sundays. 

We built a relationship with Aly Habib at Indochino.  Aly is the Director of Corporate Sales & Partnerships and he is a person that has inspired me over the course of my career.

Another brand on the rise is Sevin Kasran. They’ve worked with numerous players in the NBA such as Chris Paul and Jayson Tatum, and their creative director, Sunny Basran, reached out with a jacket for Chase as a dope gift. It was one of our best fits of this past season.

I recently got to chat with Derek Morrison of StockX UK. As a fellow Canadian, I felt the connection right away when he reached out. I'm very excited to work with him and the StockX team this season.

Being associated with a global star like Chase Claypool has been something I could have never imagined. As a stylist, growth in my career has been outstanding, and I'm looking forward to collaborating with more athletes in the future. 

I can’t wait to show you what I have in store this season.