Ten Things – Trumaine Washington

You’re from Miami, but went to the University of Louisville. Why?

“It’s a great school with great coaches. I had more schools that were close, but I just wanted to get away and get away from Miami and just try new things, just see new things.”

Last year you had a two interception game in your upset win over against Florida State. What was it like for you in class or around campus after that game?

“Oh man, they loved me! (laughs) It’s a great thing to come back to class and just see people taking about it. People would say they saw the game, they were rooting for me and they’d have videos on their phones and stuff like that.  It was fun.”

What’s your favourite movie of all time?

“I’ll say Hardball. Hardball is a great movie. I saw it when I was young, just, playing football you’ve got to be a team. Watching that movie, they were a team and then they kind of fell off.  There were a lot of kids from poverty and just seeing them come together as a team, it was a fun movie and I could relate to it.”

Who was your favourite football player when you were growing up?

“My favourite football player ever was Randy Moss, I always wanted to be like Randy Moss. I started out as a quarterback, then made my way to running back and then receiver. Just watching Randy Moss play the game, it’s crazy what he did.  Seeing him run past people and go up for the ball with two or three people, it was crazy to watch.”

You had some serious dreads at Louisville. What did you cut them off?

“I had been growing them for four years from my senior year in high school. They kept sprouting, sprouting for the last four years. (laughs) I cut them off last summer. Me and my brother, we grew them at the same time with my cousins, because we just wanted a new look. Growing up in Miami, that’s kind of a thing, dreads. I cut them because they actually were too heavy. They weren’t the regular size dreads, they were thick dreads. They got too heavy and I just wanted a fresh start with my life with everything.”

You had a great game in your first pro game, the pre-season game in Hamilton. How good did you feel after that game?

“That felt great. Just being back on the football field and just making plays, doing what I do best, that felt amazing.”

You’re now a pro, and that means you have to give up some things, like junk food. Is there a junk food you’ve had to give up and it’s killing you because you like it so much?

“I used to eat a lot of candy. I like white chocolate Kit Kat. I reach for it, but I look at it, I turn it around, and just put it back down. (laughs)

What’s the biggest similarity between Miami and Toronto?

“I think they’re very similar. Where I live now, there’s a place in Miami called Brickell, there’s a lot of buildings and condos, you’ve got the beach right there. Toronto doesn’t have the beach, but it’s very similar, nice restaurants, big buildings, it looks nice.”

You’re 5’8”. What’s the best advice you can give a DB who’s in college or high school, but isn’t six feet tall?

“Master your craft. Whatever your strength is, try to be perfect with it. I’m not tall, I’m not the fastest guy, but I feel like I’m very quick and have great hips and I try to use that to my advantage. I don’t have the longest arms, so when me and a guy go for the ball I just try to snatch the ball. A lot of people don’t work on grabbing the ball and tucking it in, I just try to find little things. Just master your craft and know the game of football, know route combinations and stuff like that. Just keep working hard and be coachable.”

You’re new to pro football, you’re new to Toronto and you’re in a new country. What’s about Canada has surprised you the most?

“The money. It looks totally different. It actually looks better than the U.S. money.”