Andre De Grasse interview on his $11.25 million deal with Puma

Canadian track superstar Andre De Grasse recently turned professional signing a contract with Puma. This news came to us after rumours of him going pro circulated in the fall.

The 21-year-old signed for a whopping $11.25 million with the company last week and has just opened up about his decision.

RELATED: Andre De Grasse goes pro and signs with Puma

Just recently, the CBC sat down and had a 20-minute chat with the sprinter on his deal with Puma. The Canadian record holder currently studies at the University of Southern California and he sees this deal as a chance to complete his education and start his life as a pro runner.

“I accomplished everything that I wanted to accomplish in the NCAA. I’ve got the chance now that I can finish my school, finish my degree next semester and I get to stay with the same coach so that’s pretty big,” says De Grasse in the interview. “I said ‘Let’s do it, lets do it right now.’ I get the both worlds.”

He also says that he had heard murmurs of the possibility of him making big bucks as a professional but he had no idea just to what extent. The figures he kept hearing, he thought, were merely rumours.

“No shoe company was saying that, no agent was saying that,” he says adding that he thought the costs against his education could potentially outweigh the benefits he’d get from sport.

“My coming out of school, giving up my scholarship, going to a great school like USC and giving up thousands of dollars for a little bit of money… I really didn’t know [my worth] until October or November. That’s when I found out.”

De Grasse’s success and fame came to him fairly quickly. Even though he was on the schedule to compete at the Pan Am Games this summer, the celebrity status that he accrued over the summer hadn’t quite hit him.

He said running the Pan Ams at home this summer was exciting but he did not expect the level of attention he got.

“I couldn’t believe it,” says De Grasse. “Every two minutes I’m getting stopped for a picture or autograph and I’m like ‘This is just me warming up or walking around.'”

So a few months after that excitement, when he found out what he could be signing for, that’s when he decided to move on it. And the Puma deal is one he’s more than happy with.

“I’m very pleased. I got more than I bargained for. I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “Puma came with an offer that I really couldn’t refuse. I’m satisfied and happy to join the family. I’m ready to live up to the hype now.”

To listen to the full CBC interview, see here.