Lockport Football DB, Ayden Pehas '27, 5'9 170lbs. 4.0 GPA
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Every Football Player Has A Story To Tell
There is a certain kind of athlete who does not take the easy path. Ayden Pehas of Lockport is that kind of athlete.
Three sports. A 4.0 GPA. Only three seasons of tackle football under his belt. And heading into his senior year, he is just now hitting his stride.
“I’ve been obsessed with football since I was little,” Pehas said. “I played flag all through elementary school but didn’t start tackle until freshman year. I’m only three seasons in and still climbing.”
That climb has been steep, and intentional.
Pehas is a 5’10, 170-pound DB and Class of 2027 out of Lockport High School. He also catches and plays outfield in baseball, and runs track in the spring. None of that is accidental. He has built his game across all three sports, and it shows.
“Track gives me my speed. Running all spring keeps me explosive. Baseball is just as big. Tracking a fly ball is similar to guarding a fade. Catching has taught me to read the field, communicate with my guys, and handle contact.”
On the football field, Pehas describes himself as a fast, downhill player who brings physicality but can also be patient when the situation calls for it. His speed allows him to play off man and still drive on the ball, or press and trust his recovery if he needs to.
This offseason he is locked in on footwork. “The faster and more precise my footwork gets, the better every other part of my game gets with it.”
Last weekend he competed in Waukegan in front of college coaches, and two programs stood out. “UChicago and North Central really stood out to me. Both staff members brought energy, taught the position the right way, and made it clear what they’re looking for.”
When it comes to what he wants in a college program, the answer is straightforward. Culture and academics. He wants a brotherhood, a locker room and a weight room where guys push each other every day, and a program that takes the classroom as seriously as the field.
“I want to walk away from college developed as both a player and a student.”
What coaches cannot see on film is just as important to Pehas as anything they can. He is coachable. He applies what he is taught. He does not party. He is involved in his school and takes being a good person seriously.
“Off the field, I’m not a guy you have to worry about.”
His parents have been there for every practice and every game, pushing him when he needed it and supporting him when he needed that instead. He credits them as the biggest influence on his journey.
And at the end of it all, football is not the whole story for Pehas.
“I’m a family guy, I take school seriously, and I try to be someone people can count on. At the end of the day, I want to be known as a good person. That matters to me just as much as anything I do on the field.”
For a kid who only picked up tackle football three years ago, Ayden Pehas is already exactly who he wants to be.
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