How’d you get into Football? Has it been a life long journey to get to be the Quarterback of the Golden Bears?

Well, I played baseball and basketball pretty seriously until grade twelve. In grade eleven, I started getting more into football, and by grade twelve, I decided to seriously pursue it. When I was looking at schools, I had to choose between the U of A and the U of C. I chose Edmonton and came straight after high school. I was in the football program at 18 years old when most of the other players were 26 or 27.

You’ve been playing here for a while then. How much more football do you see yourself playing?

Well, I technically can have one more year of university ball left. The problem is that I’ve run out of school to do. I’ve been here for a full five years, so if I came back and decided to start another degree or something, I guess I could play one more year, but we’ll see what happens.

How’s mixing school and sport? Any exciting overlaps?

Unfortunately, the off-season means morning workouts. From February to May, we have two morning practices a week in the Butterdome from 6:30am to 8:00am. It’s usually miserably dark and cold, plus, we only do conditioning and speed work. There’s not a lot of football involved. After practice, we have to go to class the rest of the day. It takes a lot of commitment to work hard all year to get ready for an eight game season.

So, you’ve got 80 players on the team…wow. How does the coaching staff keep everybody in order?

The Phantom. No one knows who he is, what he’ll do, or where he comes from. If you don’t do something that you’re not supposed to, like not take your jersey off your shoulder pads after playing, the Phantom will strike. He might put your shoulder pads in the shower and soak them, which is miserable in the winter, or he might cover a helmet and make it into a giant tape ball so you’re late for practice. Usually, you’ll get a message too. He keeps us in line.

*suiting provided by Henry Singer