“That’s my dream:” CLHS Royal achieves scholarship to play college football

Call it a dream achieved, call it the next step for Cold Lake High School running back Aden Pelley.

The graduating student from the Frog Lake area committed to Mount Allison University in New Brunswick to become a Mountie to continue his football journey after his days as a Royal are officially done.

The process all started when Pelley entered high school, he said, where he started laying the building blocks that later paid off.

“My biggest dream is I just want to go play college football. That’s my dream. I’m gonna do everything I can to achieve it right. So I started off with well, [knowing] I had to train every night, I knew I had to get better, you have to make yourself stand out,” said Pelley.

“Also, I had to stay in the classroom, focus on that a lot too. And all that coming together, every day working together. Those two things are the biggest things when it comes to getting the scholarship I’d say, and these past two years I’ve started receiving calls and other scholarships. But lately, this year in December, I got a scholarship to Mount Allison.

“My family, we researched it, studied it a bit and this feels like the place to be.”

With all Wheatland Football League games cancelled in the fall due to health protocols, Pelley could’ve played his last high school game already, unless a spring season is allowed to happen.

Coach Kelly Johnson was proud to see the news and another Royal advance to the next level.

“Aden has worked his butt off in the weight room and on the field. He is driven by a passion for football. He has improved every year. His greatest improvement has been in his physicality. He understands he can lower his shoulder and deliver a blow. We are super proud of him,” said Johnson.

“Coming from Frog Lake, he has really fought hard to get himself to the next level of football.”

Mount Allison plays nationally in U Sports competition in the Atlantic University Sport conference. Pelley knows he’s done a lot of work to get to this point, and more awaits.

“I know for a fact that football’s gonna turn into a job there. I know for a fact it will not be nearly as fun as high school is, it’s gonna be hard work, every day. But my goal definitely is to play on like the all-star team. Maybe hopefully even be able to transfer to a D1 [NCAA Division 1] school someday. That’s just my dream,” he said.

“But most of all, I just want to be the best I can possibly be. Try to like lead the league in rushing, touchdowns, anything I can.”

The six-foot, 185lbs back is listed as running a 4.56 second 40 yard dash, with a 32 inch vertical.

His guidance to anyone pursuing their athletic goals–don’t listen to the talk.

“Don’t listen to anybody that talks you down. If anyone’s ever saying you should like set your goals more realistic–if you can see it, if you can visualize yourself being there, you’re gonna get there.

“I manifested all of this for the past so many years in my life, and that’s all coming together. So, definitely don’t let anybody tell you what to do.”