Lake Forest Academy junior Wesley Annan, a two-way starting lineman, hopes to play football for as long as he can.
Whenever his football career comes to an end, he will focus on his other major goal — becoming a pediatrician.
“I was born four-to-six weeks premature, and if it wasn’t for those doctors and all those people at the hospital, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Annan, a boarding student from just outside of Toronto.
It’s hard to believe now when you watch Annan — a 6-foot-5, 280-pounder — play, but he entered this world at 4 pounds, 6 ounces. It’s also surprising that his dad is about 5-8 and weighs less than 200 pounds.
However, it is not as if size does not run in his family. Many of his uncles in Ghana are 6-7 or taller.
Annan’s dad first sporting love was soccer. But now, thanks to his son, he is becoming a football fanatic. He watches all of his son’s games on highschoolcube.com. Lake Forest Academy (0-3) plays host to St. Laurence at 2 p.m. Saturday.
“He wasn’t sold on football initially, but he’s grown to love the sport,” Annan said. “He’s probably my biggest fan.”
Prior to his sophomore year, when Annan was deciding whether to attend Lake Forest Academy, he and his family paid a visit to Faith Ekakitie, a defensive lineman who starred at Lake Forest Academy and is now a redshirt freshman for Iowa.
“It was almost like we were long-lost cousins,” Annan said. “He told me all about the school and we connected with his family.”
Annan played well as a sophomore even though it took him some time to get used to the tempo of American football. He made an immediate impression on his teammates and coaches for the transformation that came over him when he strapped on the shoulder pads.
“He always had a big grin on his face and was optimistic and positive,” Lake Forest Academy coach Robin Bowkett said last year. “But when he puts the helmet on, he’s a different person.”
Added junior Malcolm Chaka: “He’s a big, physical kid and a guy you have to consider when (game planning). You don’t want to have to directly go up against him.”
Annan played at about 295 pounds last year. After the football season, he wrestled for the first time, and that helped him both improve his athleticism and shed close to 20 pounds.
“We worked a lot on conditioning and I felt better and more athletic,” he said. “I continued to train hard when I was home in Canada this summer.”
With each year, Annan becomes more interested in football and is determined to continue playing at the next level.
“It’s become my life,” he said. “I’d like to go as far with the sport as it can take me.”
