“Some nights I would get lucky and one of my schoolmates or friends would ask their mom and I could stay a night on the couch. The majority of the time I didn’t get that luck.”
Delonte Hood is a player most Toronto Argonauts fans don’t yet know. He’s been elevated from the practice roster and will make his debut as the starting field corner when the Boatmen host the BC Lions on Saturday.
He’s come a long way from the streets of Washington D.C., where he spent four years as a homeless teenager, constantly looking for a place to sleep, always looking for a way out of a horrendous situation.
Hood’s family was poor, and when a self-described “moment of crisis” happened at his house, he left. He was just 13 years old and forced to be on his own. His departure led to a journey through the massive homeless scenario that so many cities are experiencing.
Dunbar High School became his sanctuary. Located a dozen or so blocks due north of the U.S. Capitol building, the school had showers, hot water, and most importantly, some sympathetic figures.
“Between one of my high-school coaches and the maintenance guy at the school, I asked for some change to get a tent,” Hood explained to Argonau.ca. “I basically put it under a bridge, and I would just set up there overnight. If I couldn’t make it to the tent I would just last as long as I could on the subway, that’s how I scheduled my nights.”
It forced him to grow up early.
At some point he realized that football could be his way out of an unimaginable situation, but he had no college offers after his senior season. His head coach was able to get Glenville State in West Virginia to take a chance on Hood.
It worked out well. He suddenly had a semblance of normalcy in his life and started to show off his skills. The defensive back had eight interceptions in his sophomore season and was named First Team All-Mountain East.
After that season he’d transfer to Toledo where it didn’t work out as well. He’d last just one season.
From there, it was off to Peru State University in Peru, Nebraska, according to the 2024 U.S. census, a town of just 683 people. He’d regain his football mojo in the Great Plains, playing well enough to be named Second Team All-Conference.
It was also there that he met someone who eventually become an important figure in his life – future Argos defensive co-coordinator Will Fields. Fields, now the defensive coordinator in Ottawa, would be Hood’s defensive coordinator and positional coach with the Bobcats.
Which word would Hood use to best describe his coach?
“Passionate,” he said, before expanding. “We had great times in college. In my last college year, I came to him, asking him to steer me in the right direction to be a great pro player, NFL, CFL, whatever. He believed in me, and I believed in him. I like the way he coached, that you can do anything on the field if you believe in yourself.”
Hood still had some dreams to chase before eventually signing with the Argos. He was a final cut of Cincinnati in 2022, then suffering the same fate a year later with Denver. To get back on the field, and earn some money, he played with the Arlington Renegades of the UFL, where he led the league in pass breakups.
He’d attend yet another NFL camp last year, this time with Arizona, and he would again be released at the end of training camp. He’d sign a futures contract with the Argos in October of last year, before reporting to training camp Guelph in May.
As camp continued, Hood continued to impress. Caught in a numbers game with several veterans in the secondary, he continued to grind it out and will finally get his opportunity to show off his skills Saturday at BMO Field.
Ryan Dinwiddie let Hood know of his plans to use him this week, welcome news after such a long wait. He says he’s anxious but confident, and that anxiety has been alleviated because of the mentorship of Tarvarus McFadden, the man who’s usually manned the field corner spot before moving inside to halfback last week.
They’ll line up next to each other against the Lions.
“He’s a real leader and a real vet in the room,” said Hood of McFadden. “He’s been welcoming me since I got here and making sure I’m on point with the calls, what he sees, how he reads the position; just little tips and tricks to help me play fast. I appreciate him a lot and I’m confident to be out there with him.”
If Hood has a football superpower, it’s his combination of size and speed. He’s 6’1”, tall for a corner, and has run the 40 in a blazing 4.25 seconds, even faster than Benjie Franklin – acknowledged as one of the CFL’s fastest players – who clocked a 4.28 at his pro day.
It will give the Argos a ridiculously fast tandem at the cornerback spot.
BMO Field is a long way from East End D.C., but the two areas both experience homelessness. There’s a stigma attached to those who live on the street, with many, not all of those on the street suffering from mental health or addiction problems.
Argonauts.ca wanted to know if Hood sees something that others don’t when he experiences someone who is living on the street.
“Sometimes I can get a little emotional,” said Hood, his voice beginning to tremble. “I’ll at least try to acknowledge them because sometimes that’s all they want to be is acknowledged. I remember how I felt when I was a kid.”
He also has some words of wisdom for people who feel uncomfortable when they see someone who is unhoused.
“A lot of times you can’t control it,” he said. “I couldn’t control why I was homeless. My advice to them would be optimistic, just an acknowledgement would help. I’d say not to be stuck up towards them or turn up your nose.”
Hood appreciates the opportunity he has in Toronto. He loves the city, the wide variety of restaurants, and most importantly, the warm bed into which he crawls every night.