Toronto Argonauts: How A.J. Ouellette got his wrestling moment and embracing love from fans
The Toronto Argonauts running back got a chance in the ring at Greektown Wrestling and shares why he thinks it's important to be out in the community.
It is never a rare occurrence to see professional athletes dip their toes in a different sport, especially football players and professional wrestling.
From Lawrence Taylor to Rob Gronkowski and Pat McAfee, those are some of the names that come to mind who have embraced the chance to live out their wrestling dream. Now you can add A.J. Ouellette to that list.
The Toronto Argonauts running back made an appearance on Greektown Wrestling alongside Jock Samson who he met from his days at Ohio University. Sporting an Argos helmet, Ouellette made his way into the ring and delivered a spear to Trent Gibson then gave Samson his championship ring to be used for his finishing maneuver.
So how did Ouellette find himself in the ring? This was something in the works for a while.
“Samson reached out late last year saying he was wrestling in Toronto but it just didn't match up schedule-wise. Then us having a bye week one and them starting out a couple days ago, It kind of worked out perfectly,” Ouellette explained after practice this week. “So I came in here for early practice. That day, kind of hung out for a couple hours and then drove there on the east side of Toronto. For the night.”
Initially, Ouellette wasn’t planning on right into the action but that all changed once he started going over everything with Samson and Gibson.
“Originally I was just going to be in the corner cheering along, you know, yelling at the other side,” Ouellette said. “And then I was watching the other guys warm up and in the ring. And I'm like, ‘Sam can do something?’ And they're like, ‘How much can you do? And will we get in trouble?’. I told them they had my that nobody was gonna get in trouble and we'll just keep it basic with a nice little football tackle.”
Well if Ouellette ever decides to give wrestling a try, he’s definitely got a finishing move locked down along with the physique.
The fan reaction to Ouellette’s appearance is just another example of how the running back has increased his popularity. Don’t be surprised that when fans are walking around in their Argos jersey many will have No. 34 on the back.
It is something Ouellette doesn’t take for granted and really it’s a compliment to the work he’s put in since moving to Toronto.
“It's always nice to see fans supporting us like they do here at BMO,” Ouellette. “The first part of my job is to, obviously win, but then you know, just be the nice guy that they might need in their life.
“You know, reach out when someone's down and then play with an edge and a mindset that can inspire the next generation coming up. So I'm always trying to, you know, give something to someone that might need it in life.”
There is also an extra benefit for Ouellette and the Argos as it gets the team into the community. He has done some work in the past but the challenges of COVID-19 limited what could be done.
Now he hopes to do more in outreach efforts especially near Milton, Ont., where he currently lives.
“Throughout this year I'm gonna find myself with some free time here and there. And during that time, I'd like to get out in Toronto or west side of Toronto, Ouellette said. “Maybe a camp here in there for the youth. It'd be good.”
Back home in Covington, Ohio, Ouellette and his wife Haley with his No Name Athletics gym. During Grey Cup week, Ouellette told 620 CKRM that the idea was initially supposed to be a clothing line but then it became much more than that.
Anyone who knows Ouellette is familiar with his focus on fitness as he is one of the more dedicated players on the team when it comes to his training. The results speak for themselves and it gives him the added benefit of being a staple of his community back at home.
“Kind of morphed it into a No Name Athletics for all the kids back home, there’s not a sports performance gym that they can go into to learn the proper way of lifting weights, of moving and how your body should feel,” Ouellette said at the time.
Head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has seen the way he has grown into a leader with a lead-by-example approach. Now with the Argos about to open their season, Ouellette’s role on the offence will increase.
“You know, 60-40, maybe 70-30 as far as the rest between him and Andrew but A.J. is gonna be our bell cow.” said Dinwiddie. “We got to make sure we don't wear him out. So we got to get a give and take and watch that we don’t put him on the field too much.”
Dinwiddie says Ouellette’s ability to break through for big runs with his north-south bursts is a credit to his weight training and believes he’s faster than people think.
If Ouellette can continue to be an effective runner when the ball is handed to him, it won’t be a surprise to see him near the top of the CFL’s rushing list.
Great article. Go AJ, go Argos.