:Peter Dyakowski
{{Short description|Canadian football player (born 1984)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography
|image = Peter Dyakowski in a parking lot (cropped).jpg
|name=Peter Dyakowski
|team=
|status=Retired
|import=no
|position1=Offensive lineman
|number=54
|College=LSU
|high_school=Vancouver College
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1984|04|19}}
|birth_place=Vancouver, British Columbia
|Height_ft=6
|Height_in=5
|Weight_lbs=315
|CFLDraftedYear=2006
|CFLDraftedRound=2
|CFLDraftedPick=11
|CFLDraftedTeam=Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|playing_years1={{CFL Year|2007}}–{{CFL Year|2016}}
|playing_team1=Hamilton Tiger-Cats
|playing_years2={{CFL Year|2017}}*
|playing_team2=Toronto Argonauts
|playing_years3={{CFL Year|2017}}
|playing_team3=Saskatchewan Roughriders
|career_highlights= * BCS national champion (2003)
|CFLEastAllStar={{CFL Year|2012}}
|CFL=peter-dyakowski/125914/
}}
Peter Stefan Dyakowski (born April 19, 1984) is a Canadian former professional football offensive lineman, who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 2007 to 2016 and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2017. Dyakowski has also served as Treasurer of the Canadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA).{{Cite web|url=https://cflpa.com/executives/|title=Executives |website=cflpa.com|language=en-CA |archive-date=April 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425114512/https://cflpa.com/executives/}}
Early years
Dyakowski did not start playing football until he entered Grade 10 at Vancouver College. After high school, he signed a national letter of intent to play for Louisiana State Tigers and signed a football scholarship for the Louisiana State University.
In his early years at LSU he was nicknamed "The Mullet" because of his hair style, and captured a national title in 2004. In 2003 and 2004 he was a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll. Then, as a senior at LSU he received the Southeastern Conference Community Service Team Player of the Week Award and was LSU's nominee for the 2006 Southeastern Conference Football Good Works Team.
He was named to ESPN.com's All Bowl Team and played in the Inta Juice North-South All Star Game following his senior season at LSU.
Professional career
= New Orleans Saints =
He was not picked by any team in the 2007 NFL draft, but signed a free agent contract with the New Orleans Saints shortly thereafter. Nevertheless he was subsequently released.
= Hamilton Tiger-Cats =
Dyakowski was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the second round of the 2006 CFL Draft. In 2011 Dyakowski was the Tiger-Cats' nominee for the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award. In 2012, he was named a CFL Eastern Division All Star and was also named to the CFLPA All-Star Team. In 2013, he was again voted to the CFLPA All-Star Team.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/jon-cornish-henry-burris-headline-cflpa-all-star-team-1.2435890|title=Jon Cornish, Henry Burris headline CFLPA all-star team|work=CBC Sports|access-date=2017-04-06|language=en}} On February 16, 2017, the Tiger Cats released Dyakowski.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/sports-story/7144160-ticats-release-veteran-offensive-lineman-peter-dyakowski/|title=Ticats release veteran offensive lineman Peter Dyakowski|last=Edwards|first=Drew|date=2017-02-16|work=The Hamilton Spectator|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en-CA|issn=1189-9417}} Dyakowski played 10 seasons for the Tiger-Cats, playing in 148 regular season games.
= Toronto Argonauts =
After being released by the Tiger-Cats Dyakowski signed with the Toronto Argonauts later that same day.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/tiger-cats-release-peter-dyakowski-he-signs-with-the-argos-hours-later-1.3986074|title=Tiger-Cats release Peter Dyakowski; he signs with the Argos hours later {{!}} CBC News|work=CBC|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en-US}}
= Saskatchewan Roughriders =
On May 27, 2017, the Argonauts traded Dyakowski to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for wide receiver Armanti Edwards.{{Cite news|url=https://leaderpost.com/sports/football/cfl/saskatchewan-roughriders/riders-add-veteran-offensive-lineman-peter-dyakowski|title=Riders add veteran offensive lineman Peter Dyakowski|date=2017-05-28|work=Regina Leader-Post|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en-US}} He played in all 18 regular season games, as well as the Riders' playoff games of the 2017 season. Dyakowski was released by the Riders on April 24, 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2018/04/24/dyakowski-hecht-among-4-riders-cuts/|title=Dyakowski, Hecht among four Riders cuts - CFL.ca|date=2018-04-24|work=CFL.ca|access-date=2018-04-24|language=en-US}}
Politics
In February 2019, Dyakowski was selected to run as the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for the riding of Hamilton Mountain in the 2019 Canadian federal election. Dyakowski vowed to fight for workers rights and to promote the economic revitalization of Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-story/9174295-hamilton-mountain-federal-conservative-candidate-peter-dyakowski-lines-up-for-political-game/|title=Hamilton Mountain federal Conservative candidate Peter Dyakowski lines up for political game|date=13 February 2019}}
Other activities
In 2012, he was named Canada's Smartest Person by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.{{cite web |title=Peter Dyakowski Comments on Winning Canada's Smartest Person |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9YCM2-YcDY |website=YouTube.com |publisher=Hamilton Tiger-Cats |access-date=July 18, 2023}} He defeated spoken word artist Greg Frankson and journalism student Laura Suen, both from Toronto, and science teacher Marshall Carroll from Winnipeg.
Dyakowski appeared on an episode of Jeopardy! broadcast on Tuesday, June 3, 2014, finishing in third place.{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2014/06/former_lsu_lineman_peter_dyako.html|title=Former LSU lineman Peter Dyakowski appears on Jeopardy Tuesday|last=Kleinpeter|first=Jim|work=nola.com|date=June 3, 2014|accessdate=June 4, 2014}}
Dyakowski attended the same elementary school as Canadian performer and playwright Katherine Cullen, and is the subject of the song "Peter Dyakowski Won" in Stupidhead!, Cullen's autobiographical comedic musical about growing up with dyslexia.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/theatre-reviews/stupidhead-katherine-cullen-unfolds-a-life-lived-with-dyslexia/article34386037/|title=Stupidhead!: Katherine Cullen unfolds a life lived with dyslexia|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=22 March 2017|last1=Wheeler|first1=Brad}}
Electoral record
{{2019 Canadian federal election/Hamilton Mountain}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.riderville.com/players/peter-dyakowski/125914/ Saskatchewan Roughriders bio]
- [http://ticats.ca/roster/show/id/1241 Hamilton Tiger-Cats bio]
- [http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27812&SPID=2164&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=174997&Q_SEASON=2006 2006 LSU Tigers]
- [http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27815&SPID=2164&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=746932 LSU Tigers]
{{2003 LSU Tigers football navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dyakowski, Peter}}
Category:Hamilton Tiger-Cats players
Category:LSU Tigers football players
Category:Canadian football people from Vancouver
Category:Contestants on American game shows
Category:Conservative Party of Canada candidates for the Canadian House of Commons
Category:Toronto Argonauts players
Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players
Category:Players of Canadian football from British Columbia
Category:American football offensive linemen
Category:Canadian football offensive linemen
Category:Canadian sportsperson-politicians
Category:Players of American football from British Columbia