'He's got that attitude': Meet the CFL's 36-year-old rookie

If 36-year-old CFL rookie Dean Faithfull is proof of anything, it's the quality of content in the book "Football for Dummies." The iconic black and yellow guide was, quite naturally, Faithfull's first purchase after deciding just three years ago to attempt a career as a professional football kicker, a feat he accomplished this year when he earned a spot on the roster of the CFL's Edmonton Elks.

And as unlikely as that journey is, its genesis is even more implausible. It all began with a boring desk job.

Three years ago, Faithfull, who played semi-professional soccer for almost a decade in far-flung locales like Costa Rica, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago, decided it was time to settle in his home country of England and pursue a corporate career in project management. But quieting his inner athlete was easier said than done.

"The more time you spend with Dean, the more you realize that the passion has to be there for him," said Robin Chan, who coaches men's soccer at Florida Tech, where Faithfull obtained his undergraduate degree and played soccer from 2007-10.

And the passion was definitely not there for his desk job, something that became obvious to Chan after meeting Faithfull for coffee in early 2020 when his former student was briefly visiting Florida. That's when Chan made a suggestion that would change the course of Faithfull's life.

"If you're not passionate about it, and you want to pursue your master's (degree), you still have eligibility left. Why not become a kicker on our football team?"

Faithfull's reaction: "I laughed," he said. But Chan was serious.

As it happens, Florida Tech's football coach had reached out to Chan about a month earlier, asking if he knew any former soccer players who wanted to transition to kicking. Sensing a moment of destiny, Faithfull rescheduled his flight back to England - which was leaving the next day - while Chan coordinated an impromptu tryout.

"He'd never really kicked before. I think his first one, he was a bit nervous. He didn't quite catch it as he'd normally do. Then, the next half dozen, he kicked through the uprights," Chan said.

Faithfull left Florida with a scholarship offer and an entirely new direction.

"I just wanted to prove to everyone that I could do something different, in a different sport, at an older age," Faithfull said. Back in England, with a few months to prepare for football season, he quit his office job in favor of a more flexible construction job and began practicing kicking on a rugby field every evening with balls he'd purchased online. He used YouTube to fine-tune his form and "Football for Dummies" to learn basic football strategy.

"I would look at NFL kickers, look at their film, compare it, and just try and work it," he said.

"He was almost obsessed with the game and fine details of the technique," said his brother Luke, who occasionally came by to watch.

Despite his devotion, Faithfull never made it to Florida Tech to play football. Months after that initial tryout, the school's football program shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was gutted. This was my opportunity - gone," Faithfull said. But that old competitive fire rose within him. "After a few days, I told myself, 'Get back on the horse and see what you can do.'"

Faithfull posted his videos on Twitter and entered the transfer portal, receiving, he estimates, about 15 offers. Eventually, he settled on Colorado State-Pueblo, another Division II program. But before arriving, he needed to improve his skills beyond what he'd taught himself from YouTube. So he attended an elite kicking camp in Alabama, bringing along his trusty copy of "Football for Dummies."

Jake Julien, now the punter for the Elks, was also invited to the camp and was assigned to Faithfull's room for a night. "I drop my bags and look over, and sitting on the bed was an American Football for Dummies book," he said. "(The camp) was supposed to be one of the better kicking spots, and a bunch of NFL guys were going to be there. I was thinking to myself, 'What have I gotten into?'"

Maybe it was all part of his British humor, Julien thought. "I didn't know how serious he would be. Maybe he was just trying this out as a hobby. But when I saw him on the field, it was definitely more than a hobby," he said.

Faithfull played the 2021 season with Colorado State-Pueblo, making seven of 12 field goals and converting 20 extra points. He averaged 58.5 yards on 44 kickoffs, including 24 touchbacks. The following year, he focused on transferring the knowledge he was gaining by starting his own coaching company, Gameday Kicking.

Meanwhile, a new goal crystallized: Make it to the pros. On his vision board, Faithfull wrote three possible outcomes for his football future - the CFL, XFL, or NFL.

"There's a lot more that goes into kicking that a lot of people don't know about," said former BC Lions kicker and CFL Hall of Famer Paul McCallum. "Timing, the whole process of working with the snapper and the holder and getting a comfort level."

Making it at the pro level comes down to one thing: consistency. "It's about being able to go day in and day out, do your job and have the trust of your coaches and your teammates, and have a good work ethic," McCallum said.

Faithfull believed he had just that. He knew there was a CFL tryout in Los Angeles scheduled for late April and was determined to showcase what he'd learned over the preceding three years. To fund the trip, he coached soccer and kicking in Colorado - sometimes traveling for hours and sleeping in his vehicle overnight to save money. On the eve of tryouts, Faithfull made it to L.A. and checked into a Koreatown youth hostel for the night.

"Something inside me just thought, 'He's gonna do it, they will like him, they'll see what he can do,'" Luke Faithfull said. "He's one of those people that you would want on your team no matter what sport it is because he's got that attitude. He's just got those characteristics where you'd want him on your side. He's a good person, and he's just good at what he does."

That brotherly faith turned out to be well-placed. At the tryouts, Faithfull caught the eye of the Elks, and not long after, they selected him in the first round of the CFL Global Draft.

"When I first arrived in Edmonton, I went up to the top of the stands and looked over the stadium and was just amazed. You know, it kind of took my breath away just to say, 'I'm going to play here,'" Faithfull said.

And if the expert hunches are correct, he might even thrive in Edmonton, bringing life to a team that's struggled of late to find positive news; the Elks are currently in the midst of a 19-game home losing streak and are 0-3 this season heading into Friday's game in Ottawa. "He's taking the time to learn exactly what it does take, and he's putting in his time and effort," McCallum said. "He's a good team guy, he works well, and he fits in with what they're doing there, so I think he'll be successful."

Commonwealth Stadium in Alberta's capital city is certainly a long way from his former office in England.

"If this is the final stop, I'll leave in peace because this is huge. I've achieved everything as far as playing at a professional level and getting to do this as my job," Faithfull said.

Jolene Latimer is a video producer and feature writer for theScore.