On April 30, Manitoba Bisons receiver AK Gassama will be one of over 90 top prospects looking to hear their name called during the CFL Draft. A captain for the Herd, Gassama has already etched his named in the school record books as one of the best ever.
 
He's one of just seven players in school history to record at least 100 catches and 1000 receiving yards, and this past year he was named an All-Canadian for the second season in a row, becoming the first Bison in five years to accomplish such a feat.
 
Gassama's work ethic, kindness and leadership deservedly earned him a reputation as of one the university's most respected student-athletes.
 
Last year, he was selected as the Bisons' Male Athlete of the Year, and a few weeks ago as part of the CFL Combine in Winnipeg, Gassama had the chance to show CFL scouts what makes him truly unique.
 
Stats are one thing. Every player in the draft process is a great athlete and can put down serious numbers. They wouldn't be considered a top prospect if that wasn't the case. But what sets Gassama apart is his character, and what he's overcome to get to this point.
 
No matter what obstacles have been in his way, Gassama has approached every aspect of his life with dedication and passion. He puts the work in on the field but he also embraces the grind off of it.
 
His story is one of resilience and dedication, and that's exactly what he told CFL scouts from across the league during the interview portion of the combine.
 
'It's a blessing to be here'
Gassama's roots can be traced to Sierra Leone, a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. Growing up, he and his family endured a devastating civil war which lasted from 1991-2002, enveloping the country while leaving roughly 50,000 civilians dead.

"Everything that I do know is from the memories that my mom has been telling us," Gassama noted of his early years.

"For her, especially when she had me and she had my brothers, we were going village to village just kind of running away from the war that was going on. Rebels were coming in and they were attacking the villages, so for us we were always on the move."

Thankfully, when Gassama was four years old he and his family were able to move to Canada as refugees. He's grateful every day for the life he's living but doesn't forget about his past.

"I always say it's a blessing to be here at the end of it. It was devastating. Sierra Leone, now we're in a better place, it's a lot more stable and isn't how it was before, but knowing where I come from, it's not too hard to look for incentive in life."

AK's Father Amara (which means leader) and mother Hawa (which means Eve in Arabic) worked a combined four jobs in order to provide for him and his three siblings (two older brothers and one younger sister).
 
It wasn't always easy, but the family endured. When times got tough, they stuck together and continued to press on.
 
"When we were growing up, it was about being there for each other. My siblings and I, we're super close but we're far in age. My oldest brother is 11 years older than me and my other brother is nine years older than me. Not only were they older siblings but they were almost like second parents."
 
Gassama grew up in the inner city of Winnipeg. Many people he knew as a kid are no longer around. He thinks about his past often, and in those times, he's brought back to sport. Along with his family, athletics helped ground him, providing motivation and purpose.  

It started with his oldest brother taking him to basketball practice at six in the morning. He would shoot around and work on his speed and explosiveness. His quick burst and overall athleticism quickly translated to the football field, where he found his true calling, and a community that became like family.
 
"When you grow up in the inner city and you grow up in public housing, there's so much going on and you never really know what stable conditions may look like. After school I'd go to football practice and after football I'd go to basketball practice," he recalled.
 
"A lot of those people became my best friends. After school my parents were working. That was a lot of my life. There was never one time where I was like I'm going to go home and chill today. I was always doing something. The football community embraced me so much."
 
The turning point in Gassama's football career came when he met Recruit Ready (RR) co-founders and Bisons alum Brad Black and Blair Atkinson. 

The RR program is the best of the best in terms of year-round, football-specific training in the city. Winnipeg Blue Bombers Brady Oliveira and Nic Demski, both Grey Cup champs and former Oak Park Raiders, were two of the earliest members of RR. Countless alum have gone onto the collegiate and pro levels, and many continue to train with the program because of the familial atmosphere and credibility that it brings.
 
"Tenth grade, I played varsity for Vincent Massey Collegiate. I was the youngest cat out there on the field. I was making plays. The game were I formally introduced myself to people was against Oak Park and Brady. That was his welcome home year when he went crazy. I was playing corner and I went and tackled Brady. I was 140 pounds at this point, and [Recruit Ready] saw the heart I had," Gassama said.
 
"On top of that I was making plays down the field. They hit me up and said listen, I think you can really grow into a player. We'd love to have you come down and train."
 
At that time, Gassama "didn't really know about football-specific training." He soon found out, embracing the early morning sessions while learning from trusted mentors who gave him a safe place to be.
 
"I learned how to grind. Every day I was waking up at six, and I was happy because I got to learn how to play football and get better. A lot of those guys were Vanier Cup winners. They're the cream of the crop and I wanted to soak that knowledge in," he added.
 
"Recruit Ready, they made it like a family, telling me they see the potential. As a young kid they developed me and my foundations. Brad Black, Blair Atkinson, the whole family over there, they took me in. They're like big brothers."
 
Along the way, Gassama helped VMC make history.
 
In 2015, he was an integral part of a Trojans roster took down previously undefeated St. Paul's to secure the school's first ANAVETS Bowl.
 
One of the province's most lethal multi-purpose threats, Gassama made the play of the game in the fourth.
 
Up 15-6, he intercepted a Riley Naujoks pass, taking it back to the Cru's red zone. Trojans pivot Andreas Dueck, who'd known Gassama since he was in kindergarten, and was one of his earliest friends when he moved to Canada, capped off the drive in an eventual 22-12 win.
 
'I love challenges'
The path after high school for Gassama was clear. He wanted to play for the Manitoba Bisons, and to put on for the city and community that had welcomed him with open arms as a kid. He committed to the program in his senior year.
 
"[Manitoba] really raised me. Once I came from where I was, this was home. I feel so proud to be here. The people, the environment have moulded me to be who I am now. Wherever I go, I am always going to be a Winnipeger and a Manitoban," he exclaimed.
 
"For me, I love this city, I love this province because there's a certain character and resiliency that you build. We have long, cold winters. Being in the prairies, having those long, cold winters, what that translates to is what you do with those months. People are working, people are grinding. You have to grind to make it in Winnipeg."



In the summer of 2017, Gassama had to grind for an entirely different reason.
 
He was doing long jump at the provincial track and field championships on a wet day, and on his second warm-up attempt he landed weird in the sand pit. The diagnosis was a torn ACL.
 
Instead of getting down on himself, Gassama reset, pushing his body to new limits.
 
When he needed motivation, he turned, like always, to his roots. This included travelling back to Sierra Leone in order to gain further perspective and motivation about where he came from.
 
"As a kid, overcoming adversity, it was nothing new. I've always embraced the struggle and I love the struggle. Struggling just means another challenge for me to overcome, and I love challenges."
 
The time away paid dividends, as Gassama returned to the field in 2019. His preparation was refined and enhanced by Bisons lead strength and conditioning coach Cole Scheller, another mentor in the pass-catcher's life as a teenager.
 
His insight gave Gassama a base to work with. He took it from there and hasn't let up, establishing a legacy that's among the best of the best.
 
"I never knew what training really was. I knew working out and going to the gym, but getting in with Cole and that program, it really allowed me to understand what training is, and the benefits and what it can do for you," said Gassama.
 
"I fell in love with the grind from that young age. Having that foundation, when I came into the program, I didn't feel that anything was a huge culture shock. A lot of the stuff we'd been building since I was a kid, like Olympic lifting, squat techniques."
 
No matter what happens on April 30, Gassama – who still has one more season of U SPORTS eligibility – remains confident, knowing how much work he's put in to get to this point.
 
A leader on and off the field, he's impacted the lives of countless people, and that number will simply expand as the years go on.
 
"This world can be a very dark place at times. I always want to be a light for people, whether that's making somebody laugh or smile or being that person who's asking how you're doing. I think that's who I am as a person and that's how I try to play too. I try to be a light on the field. That personality carries into everything."