Cody Fajardo

Cody Michael Fajardo was born on March 29, 1992, in Brea, California. He showed early athletic promise, playing high school football at Servite High School in Anaheim, California. As a senior, he led Servite to a state championship and earned the Glenn Davis Award in 2009 as the best high school football player in California. Following his successful high school career, Fajardo attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where he played college football for the Nevada Wolf Pack. He redshirted in 2010 before becoming the starting quarterback in 2011. Throughout his college career, Fajardo achieved significant milestones, becoming the second player in NCAA history to amass over 9,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards. He completed his collegiate tenure with 101 touchdowns and was inducted into the Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.

Fajardo transitioned to professional football after going undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft, signing with the Oakland Raiders briefly before moving to the Canadian Football League (CFL). He joined the Toronto Argonauts’ practice roster in 2015 and eventually became a key special teams and short-yardage quarterback. A significant turning point in his career came when he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2019, where he assumed the starting quarterback role due to an injury and quickly made an impact. He led the league in passing yards that year and was recognized with a CFL All-Star selection and the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy. His career progressed through stints with the Montreal Alouettes, where he won the 2023 Grey Cup and was named its Most Valuable Player, demonstrating consistent performance and leadership.

In 2025, Fajardo was traded to the Edmonton Elks, continuing his journey as a professional quarterback. He began the season as a backup and short-yardage specialist but later stepped in as the starting quarterback for the Elks. Throughout his CFL career, Fajardo has compiled impressive statistics, including over 20,000 total passing yards and 95 passing touchdowns, alongside a significant contribution in rushing with over 2,700 yards and 47 touchdowns. His achievements include two Grey Cup championships in 2017 with the Toronto Argonauts and in 2023 with the Montreal Alouettes.