Peter Dyakowski

**Peter Dyakowski** was a contestant on the 2012 Special.

## Background

Peter 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 Louisiana State University (LSU). In 2003 and 2004, he was a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Honour Roll. As a senior at LSU, he received the SEC Community Service Team Player of the Week Award and was LSU's nominee for the 2006 SEC Football Good Works Team.

Peter was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the second round of the 2006 Canadian Football League (CFL) Draft. In 2011, he 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 CFL Players' Association (CFLPA) All-Star Team.

*Retrieved from CBC.ca*

Peter Dyakowski is a world-class athlete (he's an offensive linesman for the Hamilton Tiger Cats).

We first met Peter during our 2012 casting call out and since then, he's become one of our favourite Canadians. Not only has he helped to re-define what smart looks like, he’s a really nice, down to earth guy…

## 2012 Special

Before Peter was summoned to the stage, a clip of him and the other contestants introducing themselves was shown. In this clip, apart from introducing himself, Peter stated that, in spite of preconceived notions about football players, he is not a dumb jock and that he uses his head for more than just as a battering ram. He also stated that he has had tremendous success with women and believes that it is due to a combination of athleticism and hunkiness. Peter was the second contestant to be personally introduced by Gerry Dee as he entered the stage, after Greg Frankson and Laura Suen and before Marshall Carroll. In the first challenge, Word Mix, Peter got 6 acceptable words in the first round, 8 in the second round, and 5 in the final round. With a total of 19 acceptable words, Peter finished in 1st place and was awarded 5 overall points.

In the second challenge, Spin a Speech, Peter was the third contestant to give a speech and had to give a valedictory speech. He said, "I stand before my classmates today selected to resent–represent all of you here in our little school in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, **Labrador** and it’s with a sense of **whimsy**, **alone** up here on stage, that I **acquiesce** to the rule of all the students who have voted for me to come out and tell you about the time that we spent together in this school. I know, down the road, when I’m en–in my future of **politics**, living in a great **yellow** **townhouse**, going on **holiday** for **recreation** in all sorts of amazing places, **flying** to different destinations, eating exotic **sausages**; and to remember all of you and the **demure** way, the **loquacious** manner that we were related with each other, and to just look at you through my very **cornea** and have a drink of **whisky** in your honour and just remember the great times that we’ve had here together, it has been the **elixir** of my life, a very **joyous** time, the **evergreen** of my Christmas tree. Thank you all!" Peter received a score of 18 words. Guest judge Seán Cullen commented that maybe Peter should go into politics because he said almost nothing but was very entertaining at the same time. Seán gave Peter an additional 10 points for the quality of his speech. With a total of 28 points, Peter finished in 1st place and was awarded 5 overall points.

In the third challenge, Spaced Out, Peter and Laura both finished their '7' shapes 15 seconds into the challenge (though Laura finished hers a number of milliseconds before Peter finished his), but failed to finish their 'T' shapes within the time limit of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. As a result, Peter tied with Laura for 2nd place and both were awarded 3 overall points.

In the fourth challenge, Double Take, Peter selected 9 out of the 15 correct items for his model. He selected the correct purse, skirt, blouse, blazer, shoes, sunglasses, necklace, bracelet, and ring. As a result, Peter tied with Marshall for 2nd place and both were awarded 3 overall points. Backstage, in a confessional, Peter stated that he brought the "prettiest girl in Ontario" to the show with him, hugging his girlfriend, Rachel, meanwhile. Also, Rachel claimed that she would've excelled at the Double Take challenge, but she was concerned that he wouldn't because she felt that he couldn't even tell women apart.

In the fifth challenge, Human Calculator, Peter got 7 correct answers in the first round, 6 in the second round, and 5 in the final round. With a total of 18 correct answers, Peter finished in 1st place and was awarded 5 overall points. In the sixth challenge, Logic Towers, Peter successfully relocated his block tower 1 minute and 10 seconds into the challenge. As a result, Peter finished in 1st place and was awarded 5 overall points. Backstage, in a confessional, Peter stated that he had missed his workout that day and that the Logic Towers challenge fired him up.

In the seventh challenge, Power of Persuasion, Peter and the other contestants had to individually explain why they believed that they were Canada's Smartest Person in 30 seconds, debate with each other about what they believed was the greatest invention of all time, and individually make closing statements in 15 seconds. In the first portion of the challenge, Peter was the second contestant to give his explanation and argued that he was Canada's Smartest Person because he is part of Mensa, but more importantly, he is able to make immediate decisions and have a team depend on him. In the second portion of the challenge, Peter argued that the telegraph is the greatest invention of all time because it has paved the way for more modern forms of communication that he uses in his everyday life. In the final portion of the challenge, Peter was the third contestant to make his closing statement and said, "I can sit around in a lab all day and come up with amazing things just like everybody else, but on the football field, I can make split-second decisions. So, I can do all that and then I can also act quickly and make decisive and meaningful choices that impact other people and, as far as everything else, I love Scrabble, Tetris–you name it, I got it." As Peter said "amazing things", Gerry interrupted him to remind him to look at Arlene instead of at him. Guest judge Arlene Dickinson ranked Peter in 3rd place for his overall performance and Peter was awarded 4 overall points as a result.

In the eighth challenge, Lost Instrument, Peter earned 6 points. As a result, Peter finished in 1st place and was awarded 10 overall points.

In the ninth challenge, Sport Stacking, Peter received a time of 8.5 seconds on his first attempt, a time of 10.66 seconds on his second attempt, and a time somewhere between 9 and 10 seconds on his third attempt. With a personal record time of 8.5 seconds, Peter finished in 2nd place and was awarded 6 overall points. After the first nine challenges, Peter had received a total of 46 overall points. As a result, he finished in 1st place and was congratulated by Gerry for qualifying for the Multiple Intelligence Obstacle Course alongside Laura, who had finished in 2nd place.

In the tenth and final challenge, the Multiple Intelligence Obstacle Course, Laura took the lead early on because Peter was having difficulty getting past the physical section. However, Peter was slowly catching up and Laura struggled at the logical section. Ultimately, Laura remained stuck at the logical section as Peter surpassed her, finishing the remaining sections and squeezing the horn, which signalled his victory. After the challenge ended and Peter was crowned Canada's Smartest Person, Peter and the other finalists celebrated onstage with their loved ones and Gerry.

### Summary of Results

  WINNER  This contestant won the final challenge and the competition.
  RUNNER-UP  This contestant was the runner-up of the final challenge and the competition.
  ELIMINATED  This contestant was already eliminated from the competition.
     This contestant qualified for the final challenge due to a sufficient total score.
     This contestant was eliminated from the competition due to an insufficient total score.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on linguistic intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on physical intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on musical intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on visual intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on social intelligence.
     Denotes a challenge that is based on logical intelligence.
## References

1. ↑ https://www.thestar.com/life/2012/03/14/cbcs\_canadas\_smartest\_person\_a\_learning\_experience\_for\_contestants.html
2. ↑ https://www.cfl.ca/players/peter-dyakowski/125914/
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter\_Dyakowski
4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ofUJ\_9e18&t=397s
5. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/press-release/how-smart-are-you-canada-play-along-with-canadas-smartest-person-sunday-mar
6. ↑ http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/jon-cornish-henry-burris-headline-cflpa-all-star-team-1.2435890
7. ↑ https://www.cbc.ca/smartestperson/blog/canadas-smartest-person-peter-dyakowski