In just a few short years, Jamal Bakare has established himself as a defensive force on the football field, earning him multiple accolades as well as a scholarship from the University of Waterloo.
Bakare, who hails from Nigeria, discussed moving to Canada and his early start in sports.
“It was a bit of a change for me…getting used to the new environment and meeting new people. It was tough, but getting into football gave me a chance to meet new friends, which has been one of the best parts of this path. I had already lived in Canada for a bit, back in 2014, when I was with my family in Toronto. I ended up going back to Nigeria for a number of years before moving to Paris with my relatives. Since then, it has been a great experience,” he said. “Ever since I was a kid, I was very athletic. I tried many sports like boxing, martial arts including taekwondo, as well as] soccer. I really enjoyed playing these sports…but when I moved to Paris, and discovered football, I told my parents about it. They were very supportive from the start…and they were proud of me for trying a new sport and dedicating myself to it.”
When Bakare moved to Brant County, he would start attending Paris District High School, and soon became interested in football.
“I really wanted to continue with a sport…[and] when I arrived in Paris, I was looking for a team I could be a part of. I was invited to tryouts, but at first, I hesitated to go because I had never played football before. I decided to get out there after some encouragement from those around me. I ended up making the team and started going to practices. I remember then looking where I would fit in…and then with the first snap of the game, I would play, I found my spot, in the defensive end. It was perfect for me, and I kept at it from there,” Bakare said.
While Bakare would thrive with the Panthers, defensive line coach, Jason Smale, also saw an opportunity for the player to grow in another program.
“Coach Jason actually encouraged me to try and play for the [Brantford] Bisons. I realized it was a great way to improve my game, and meet new people, so I signed up. Despite some very difficult tryouts …I knew I could play better and Coach Jason put me aside and told me I had to keep on working harder and [applying myself]. It was up to me to earn a spot, I just had to hang in there and get it which I did,” he said. “I gained more experience playing with the Bisons. Working with coaches and my teammates made me more prepared, confident and gave me the courage to execute on the field [which] helped the team win. Also, the Bisons program…played a huge role in helping me not only develop into a good play, but as a better person. I had to work hard every day…I was practicing three hours a day, and never missed a practice.”
Nevertheless, Bakare quickly contributed to the Panther’s success, being a key part of the decisive win against the Assumption College Lions. He explained a major highlight in his career was with the Panthers and making it to the AABHN finals against the St. John’s College Green Eagles.
“It was a very tough game…we faced St. John’s at the beginning of the season. We had lost the first game so before playing them in the finals, we practiced hard and prepared because he knew we could do better. It was challenging, but played to the best of our abilities against a very good team,” he said. “We had a very good season…I would have loved to win the title, but I was very proud of what we accomplished and won some very tough games along the way.”
Bakare, who earned PDHS Senior Defensive Player of the Year honors, drew a lot of interest from various universities for his defensive skills.
“I first received some interest from the University of Windsor…and met their coach at my final game in grade 12. He liked the way I played…and it was nice to hear some good feedback about my playing from him. And there were other universities that were in contact and scouted me. But I would eventually get a scholarship from the University of Waterloo. I committed to them because they had a very good program, and I fit into their team defensively, and what they are looking to do next year,” he noted. “I am excited to be part of the team next year. I was very impressed with Waterloo…and the way the team is coached. The university campus is great, and I am also looking forward to meeting new people, including getting to know my teammates.”
With Bakare getting ready to go to the University of Waterloo on a scholarship for the 2026-27 season, he has learned a lot about himself on the field.
“I have grown more and more disciplined over the last few years. I look at myself like a fighter…even after a loss, I will get back to the field and practice….looking at the ways I can get better for the next battle. One example was getting a gym membership last year. I was going there every day, building up my strength. Whatever I can do to make myself better and help my team win is something I look to do and that’s one of the major goals I want to achieve,” he said.
However, Bakare is looking forward to majoring in political science as he has a keen interest in getting into law.
“We had a close family friend, which I thought of more as an aunt. She’s a lawyer, and we used to talk about law and anything related to the judiciary. I always looked forward to our chats…and the more I spoke to her, the more I realized that I loved law. I would also talk to my mom about law and she really started to encourage me to get into that field,” he noted. “What I love about law is that you have a chance to advocate for people. I really like fighting for people, especially if something unfair is happening to them. In general, I don’t like when people go through bad things…like bullying. When that happens, I stand up for them. And even on the field…I stop any fights that I can…I tell everyone to focus on the game.”
Two people that Bakare has learned a great deal from have been Ed Kelly, Head Coach of the Paris H.S Panthers team, and Jason Smale, Defensive-Line coach for the Panthers and Bisons.
“Coach Jason and Coach Ed have been great. I learned from both of them to never give up and that you can never sit back and wait for anything to come to you. You need to be [proactive], and have a plan to achieve your goals,” Bakare said. “This [mindset] will continue to help me succeed as I look forward to my time on the Warriors soon and my academic career at university, where I will be studying law down the road.”
However, with all the success on field, Bakare, has valued, primarily, the friendships he has made as well as the opportunity to help younger players.
“I have made so many life-long friends playing for the Panthers and Bisons. I consider my teammates my second family because we have become so close and have learned a lot together. Overall, football has pushed me to be more social…to really go out and connect with people…and finding that there are others who are just as loving and caring as I am,” he said. “As I continue playing football, I also want to share what I have learned with younger athletes. I want to be a mentor if I can…I want to show that a sport like football can open doors and make a difference…in their development…becoming a good player or a person that wants to give back to the community. If I can make an impact like that…or inspire someone…that would be amazing.”
