He was already a well- established volleyball star at Dalhousie University, and one of the finest players the province had ever produced. But Dwyane Provo had two years of eligibility left, and an itch to play some football. “My parents, Lila and Donald Provo Jr., have always said ‘You can because you are,’” recalls Provo. “I had played a bit of touch football on makeshift fields in North Preston as a kid. I also played in junior high. So I felt had the tools to learn the game and play it a high level. Basically, I saw it as a great personal challenge and said to myself, ‘Why not?’” Embracing this attitude, Provo transferred to the University of Alberta for a semester, spending time as a practice player, before enrolling at Saint Mary’s and “walking on” to the varsity football team. Remember, he had NEVER played a down of organized tackle football in his life. His coach was blown away by what he initially saw. “He had some learning to do, no question about that,” remembers Pierre Lefebvre. “But he had so much equipment, physical and mental, and he was a very driven young man at the time. What really opened our eyes, though, was his speed. Being a track athlete, he was fast, incredibly fast. I think he had recorded a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash? I mean, we had some fast athletes in those years, but we had never seen a 4.38.”

The combination of physical gifts and mental strength allowed Provo to do what many thought was impossible. He cracked the starting lineup as a ROOKIE cornerback… and this was for an established defense that had played in the Vanier Cup game the year before. Dwayne Provo was a star from the very first snap of the football. He was named Saint Mary’s and Nova Scotia’s Rookie of the Year his first season, and Conference All-Star his second and final season. In addition, he was also a member of the Huskies Track and Field team, winning the 60m in his second year and the 4x200m events both seasons. He was named Conference All-Star both seasons and awarded Saint Mary’s Male Athlete of the Year in his final season.

Provo’s stock was at an apex when the 1995 CFL draft came around. He went 10th overall in the first round to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but at the time, had other plans. His skills and work ethic had attracted attention from both sides of border, and he signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots who, at the time, were coached by Bill Parcells. Provo was waived at the end of training camp, and Parcells was quoted in the Boston Globe as saying, “This is a tough one. This player will definitely play football for a living.” During training camp Parcells would say to the other players that “if everyone gave the level of effort and was as coachable as Provo, this team would have a lot of success.” Provo returned to Canada and began a CFL career that was groundbreaking. Prior to his arrival, cornerback and defensive half back had not been traditional positions for Canadians to play. Provo helped to break this barrier by proving that Canadians were skilled enough to play positions that were traditionally reserved for Americans.

 One of the players who benefitted from this change of attitude was Davis Sanchez, a fellow Canadian cornerback who was an all-star many times over. “When I showed up for my rookie year, right away defensive backs talked to me about Dwayne Provo,” recalls Sanchez. “He was Canadian like me, and he was the OG! I felt if he could do it, I could to. Dwayne was a real trailblazer in that regard. I only wish I had had his speed!” Provo would take that 4.38 speed to the NFL again and earn a roster spot with Patriots in 1997. A calf injury,however, would keep him on the sidelines for the entire regular season. He’d return to the CFL and enjoy his best year in 1998 with the Edmonton Eskimos. He’d start 11 games that season and lead the Western Conference with six interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

In the end, Dwayne Provo would do what very few Nova Scotians have ever done – spend eight years in the CFL/NFL and play nearly 100 games of professional football. An amazing accomplishment for any athlete, but especially so for one who had never played a real game until the age of 23! Today, Dwayne Provo is proud of his journey, and equally proud of the lessons it imparts.“What we typically say in my family is that you’d rather be prepared for an opportunity that never comes than not be prepared for an opportunity that does,” reflects Provo. “So, I would tell all kids out there to continue to try, continue to push forward, keep your beliefs, and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t – no matter what your goal happens to be. My story was unlikely, but I proved it was possible.”

***Dwayne Provo is currently the Executive Advisor to the Vice President of Equity and International for Nova Scotia Community College. He worked previously as the Associate Deputy Minister of the Department of Communities Culture and Heritage and also the Office of Equity and Anti-Racism, including being the Associat Deputy Minister and CEO of African Nova Scotian Affairs. And he has just been named the Executive Director/ CEO of the CFL Alumni Association. Dwayne lives in Lake Echo with his wife April. They are the proud parents of Ariel, Savannah, Alissa, and Sophia.***

Written by Bruce Rainnie