Hogan: Argos receivers staying busy
A pair of Toronto Argonauts have a lot in common, even more so during this cancelled season.
Natey Adjei and Juwan Brescacin are both receivers, Mississauga natives and each one signed a free-agent contract with the Argos this year, leaving their Alberta-based team in the process.
They’re also letting fans get to know them through social media.
Adjei is back for a second stint in Toronto after four seasons in Edmonton. Brescacin is a first-time Argo after spending the first four seasons of his career in Calgary.
The 31-year old Adjei is now hosting “The All Ball Podcast”, a chance to not only talk to people from different sports, but to start honing his skills for a potential post-football career.
“It started a while ago,” Adjei told Argonauts.ca. “I always knew that when I was done playing football, I wanted to get into the media world. With the pandemic starting and me having a lot of free time on my hands I thought that maybe this was the time. I miss my teammates in the locker room and the camaraderie, so why not start the podcast now? Everybody is at home anyway, everyone is on Zoom, let’s go!”
While the podcast allows listeners to hear Adjei in conversation, Brescacin is taking the opportunity to talk directly to fans through a gaming channel.
He’s streaming on Twitch and has a YouTube channel under the alias “jboogiexciii”. “J Boogie” is a nickname he picked up in college, the 93 in Roman numerals signifies his birth year.
“I basically started for fun,” Brescacin explained to Argonauts.ca. “Me and (another new Argo free-agent receiver) DaVaris Daniels were talking about it. It was just something to pass the time when we thought we were still going to play. The more I did it, the more I thought it would bring out my journalism background (his major at Northern Illinois), but I honestly think I just like talking to people, sharing my stories and just connecting with people.”
While the idea was just to have some fun with some additional free time, Brescacin realized there is a value to what he’s doing from both a personal and business standpoint.
“I feel like I can help promote the CFL to younger market, which is something I think it needs to do,” he explained. “In a span of three months I have over 300 followers on Twitch and a lot of people are asking when is the CFL coming back, they can’t wait to watch us play. These are people from all around the world, not just Canadians. I also have Toronto Argonaut fans that tune in every time that I’m on and we talk about football, talk about life, talk about video games. It’s like a podcast while playing video games at the same time.”
While Brescacin is talking to fans, Adjei is talking to some of the biggest names in the CFL. He’s had Michael Clemons, Ricky Ray, Ricky Foley and Andre Durie on his podcast, while branching out with non-footballers like former Jays slugger Jose Bautista.
He realized his natural curiosity, his goal to eventually become a member of the media, and the litany of stories he had heard over the years had the potential of forming something special.
“As I got older, I thought this is a gold mine,” said Adjei. “These players have interesting stories that people may or may not know. I think I can bring those stories out in an interesting and cool way.”
He also has the advantage of knowing his interview subjects better than most.
“I remember talking to Trevor Harris, who’s a practical joker, but a lot of people don’t know that about him. He’s a really funny guy, so I asked questions that would try to bring out that personality. There were other questions, like about his NFL experience, that I didn’t know and genuinely wanted to find out.”
While Adjei is a relative newbie in the podcasting world, Brescacin is no stranger to gaming.
“I’ve been a gamer my whole life,” he said. “I have pictures from when I was three or four years old playing Sonic on Sega. I’m not the greatest gamer, but it’s definitely a hobby of mine. I enjoy sitting down, playing the game and not having to focus on other things going on in my life or in the world. It’s been a pretty good outlet.”
For many, video games have been a distraction when the real world hasn’t been fun. Brescacin is living at home with his family in Mississauga, and has been separated for months from his girlfriend, who is an operating room nurse in Chicago. But “J Boogie” didn’t turn to gaming to keep his spirits strong.
“It hasn’t been important for my mental health because I have a strong support system around me. I have a great family and great friends. What I find valuable with the streaming is that I can possibly change somebody’s day that may be going through a tough mental health day, or may be bullied at school, or may not have a lot of friends at school. If you come into my stream and say, ‘What’s up?’ I will always ask you how you’re doing, how was your day? I always try to make everyone feel welcome. You never know what they’re going through.”
Adjei is thrilled to see the success that his new teammate, but long-time friend is having.
“I think it’s cool because he’s able to connect with people and fans in a different way. With no season, players have had to pivot and find a way to spend their time. I’m enjoying the content he’s putting out there.”
And then, much like playing Call of Duty, there were shots fired.
“His whole schtick is he’s an average gamer, a mediocre gamer, I don’t think he’s that great. When we play FIFA or NBA together, I’ve dominated him, so I think I’m the one who should have the gaming show.”
Brescacin returned fire, but not at Adjei, instead at another new Argo receiver.
“I played FIFA against DaVaris Daniels. He thinks he’s good, but he’s not that good, he’s okay. I hadn’t played FIFA for two years, so I bought FIFA ’21. The first time we played he picked an all-star soccer team and had every great player and I had a regular team. We tied, so I kept telling him he sucked.”
Mood. pic.twitter.com/hw9SLaBCz3
— Nazareth Mitrou-Long (@NazzyJML) September 27, 2020
When the trash talk ended, Brescacin did have some kind words about Adjei and the success he’s been having with his podcast.
“He’s doing a good job,” Brescacin confessed. “He seems to have a knack for asking the questions the audience wants to hear. He’s had a great selection of guests. He had Jose Bautista on! People would kill to have Jose Bautista on their podcast, and he did it in his first year. I think he can be the next big thing in Canadian sports. I hope he sticks with it.”
Adjei leaves no doubt he’s in it for the long run. He’s keen to learn and listens back to his interviews with an incredibly critical ear.
“I want to get better. It’s like watching game film. It’s one thing in my head when I’m asking the questions, it’s another thing when I listen back to it. I’m a perfectionist. I’m harder on myself than anyone could ever be. I’m like that in football and I’m taking that to my media role.”
The receivers are having fun with their new ventures, but both look forward to their first game as teammates in Double Blue.