Medicine Hat’s Ayomanor expected to hear name at NFL draft

Working his way onto the Stanford University football team for the last three years, the wide receiver is projected as the top Canadians for the 2025 NFL draft.

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READ: Stanford receiver Ayomanor projected as top Canadian for 2025 NFL draft

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Before heading south, Ayomanor played a season for the Medicine Hat High School Hawks football team.

Hawks head coach Quinn Skelton said he knew Elic was a special player right from day one.

“Every coach around town knew who he was, playing basketball and playing football here locally,” Skelton said.

“I know he played other sports as well as a young fellow. And him coming up, it was just obvious he was an elite athlete,” he added.

“Coming into here for Grade 10 to Hat High for basketball and football, he was right from the start a special athlete for sure.”

During his time at Hat High, Ayomanor was Rookie of the Year for his team and played for the provincial U16 program.

Skelton said they had him play a variety of position on the football field.

“He played on both sides, offense and defense, safety, and he played slotback on offense and wide receiver, and he returned kicks for us on special teams,” Skelton said.

“He could do anything and everything, and during that grade 10 year, we didn’t want to really totally burn him out,” he added.

“We used him as best we could, and he put up a lot of touchdowns even despite not being on the field all the time.”

Track and field was something Ayomanor was also invested in during his time growing up in Medicine Hat.

His coach Sean Freeman with the Bulldogs Track and Field Club said he first noticed Ayomanor as a young man, who was doing some training on his own at the South Ridge YMCA.

“His intention for his running, what he was doing, he looked super focused. He wasn’t just sort of going through motions or goofing around. He seemed intent on what he was doing,” Freeman said.

“Some of the kids were like, look at that kid go and look what he’s doing. And look, he’s doing some of the stuff that we were working on. And he was watching us a little and repeating some of the stuff we were doing,” he added.

“At the end of practice, I approached him and gave him a card.”

A few years later Ayomanor took up Freeman’s offer and started training with the Bulldogs, when he became more focused on pursuing football opportunities.

“We had set it up and ironically he had a couple of friends, Piercen Meier, who also went on to play U-Sports football. And so those guys started with me in Grade 8. And, you know, I did the coaching and their training and their weights and all that stuff. And Elic spent three years with me right up until he left for high school in the States.”

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READ: Medicine Hat’s Ayomanor expected to be picked early in NFL Draft

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Skelton said that Ayomanor is a great representative for football in Medicine Hat and Alberta and for a player following his dreams.

“Anybody who’s done their homework on him is going to know that not only physically he’s a hell of a player, but he’s a fantastic person,” Skelton said.

“He’s got a determination and work ethic second to none, and he’s very, very intelligent. So whoever picks him up is going to land themselves one heck of a player.”

With the combines, and interviews leading up to draft day now completed, Ayomanor is one step closer to seeing where he will continue his professional football dream.

Projected by football analysts to be the first Canadian off the board, selected within the first fourth rounds.

Ayomanor could potentially hear his name called on any of drafts three days.

Round one goes Thursday from 6 p.m. until about 10 p.m.

Round two and three goes Friday at 5 p.m.

Round four through seven are underway Saturday at 10 a.m.

by Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat’s Ayomanor expected to hear name at NFL draft

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