Podrick James was a high school football star in high school at Richview Collegiate Institute in Etobicoke playing both running back and wide receiver.
During that time, in addition to excelling in the classroom, James led his team to two city championships and an OFSAA bowl game victory.
At Richview, James earned junior and senior football offensive MVP awards in addition to Athlete of the Year and Athletic Leadership awards.
In 2016, James was accepted into the Bachelor of Business Administration program at Laurier. In the winter of 2017, he made the team as a walk-on and played defensive back for three seasons.
In his third and final season (2019), he broke into the starting line-up for three games and was a U-Sports Academic All-Canadian. While excited for his senior year, James’ career was cut short with the rise of the pandemic and he chose to pursue his professional career outside of football.
During his time at Laurier, James was a Laurier football work-study student, where he assisted in academic support and enhancement. He also planned and hosted team events while volunteering his time with the Light House Day Program.
Upon graduation with his BBA, James continued to grow from the business angle of sports; providing the creative idea for McDonald’s Canada’s Space Jam 2 commercial and eventually landing at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment as a Global Partnerships Account Manager – where he earned a 2022 Grey Cup championship ring through the valiant efforts of former Golden Hawk Robbie Smith and the Toronto Argonauts.
Since then, James has taken on the role of Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships with the Toronto International Film Festival. That said, he still maintains his interests in sports and Canadian culture as the head of marketing for Celsius Fits Media.
