Enoch Penney-Laryea (born May 7, 1997) is a Ghanaian professional Canadian football linebacker. He has played for the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
 Penney-Laryea with the Toronto Argonauts in 2022 | |
| Born: | May 7, 1997 Ghana[1] |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Weight | 230 lb (100 kg) |
| College | Union College |
| University | McMaster |
| High school | Tuckahoe High |
| CFL draft | 2022, round: 3, pick: 26 |
| Drafted by | Toronto Argonauts |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2022 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 2023–2024 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career stats | |
| |
Early life
editPenney-Laryea was born in Ghana and moved with his family to Tuckahoe, New York, when his father transferred to the United Nations Department for Safety and Security in New York.[2] Penney-Laryea continued to live in Tuckahoe when his father was transferred to South Sudan.[2]
College career
editUnion Dutchmen
editPenney-Laryea first played college football as a running back for the Union Dutchmen from 2016 to 2017.[2][3] He played in eight games where he had 17 carries for 90 yards.[3] In 2017, he suffered a foot injury, which limited his final season at Union.[2]
McMaster Marauders
editAfter seeking other schools for transfer and discussing with a friend from Canada, Penney-Laryea decided to enroll at McMaster University for the Marauders football program and the school's academics.[2][4] Due to the injury to his foot, he switched positions to linebacker and then to defensive lineman for the 2018 season and continued there for his three seasons with the Marauders.[2] He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 U Sports football season, but played in 12 games from 2018 to 2021 where he had 55 tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles.[3]
Professional career
editToronto Argonauts
editFollowing a conversation with McMaster's offensive coordinator, Corey Grant, Penney-Laryea was informed that he qualified as a National player in the Canadian Football League, despite being born in Ghana and growing up in the United States, due to eligibility changes implemented in 2021.[1][5] He was then drafted in the third round, 26th overall, in the 2022 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts and signed with the team on May 10, 2022.[6] Following training camp, he made the team's active roster and played in his first professional game on June 16, 2022, against the Montreal Alouettes.[3] On July 24, 2022, his teammate, Robbie Smith, forced a fumble on a kickoff return, of which Penney-Laryea recovered and returned ten yards for his first career touchdown.[7] He played in 15 regular season games where he had two special teams tackles. He did not play in any post-season games, but was a member of the 109th Grey Cup championship team.
At the conclusion of 2023 training camp, Penney-Laryea was part of the final cuts on June 2, 2023.[8]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
editOn August 1, 2023, it was announced that Penney-Laryea had signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[9] He played in two games for the Tiger-Cats where he had two special teams tackles.[10] He also made his post-season debut in the East Semi-Final where he had one special teams tackle in the loss to the Montreal Alouettes.[10]
Penney-Laryea played in three of the Tiger-Cats' first four games of the season, but did not record a statistic. He was later released on July 3, 2024, after the team signed Deionte Knight.[11]
References
edit- ^ a b Hogan, Mike (July 30, 2022). "Hogan: Penney-Laryea's unique road to the CFL". Toronto Argonauts.
- ^ a b c d e f Abbott, JC (April 1, 2022). "McMaster LB Enoch Penney-Laryea set to become the CFL's ambassador to the United Nations". 3DownNation.
- ^ a b c d "Enoch Penney-Laryea". Toronto Argonauts. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ "Enoch Penney-Laryea". McMaster Marauders. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ Dunk, Justin (January 7, 2020). "The comprehensive CFL collective bargaining agreement". 3DownNation. p. 50 – via Canadian Football League.
Collective Bargaining Agreement
- ^ "Argos sign eleven from 2022 CFL draft class". Toronto Argonauts. May 10, 2022.
- ^ "Toronto Argonauts vs Saskatchewan Roughriders". Canadian Football League. July 24, 2022.
- ^ "Toronto Argonauts Transactions – Friday, June 2, 2023". Toronto Argonauts. June 2, 2023.
- ^ "Ticats add LBs Enoch Penney-Laryea and Chris Kolarevic". Canadian Football League. August 1, 2023.
- ^ a b "2024 CFL Guide" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ "Ticats transactions". Hamilton Tiger-Cats. July 3, 2024.