April 4, 2006
KOZINA SET FOR TEAM CANADA RUGBY TRIP
HAMILTON - Jordan Kozina is more than comfortable with contact on the field. As a rookie on the McMaster Marauders football team this past season, the bruising 200-pounder from Brantford, ON got a little more of it than he had anticipated - in eight games, Kozina toted the rock 158 times for an incredible tally of 1,191 yards, the third-highest total among all CIS rushers, which was also just one yard shy of the OUA rookie record.
Kozina is now preparing to get his hands around another type of ball. A skilled rugby player, the Marauders tailback will be joining eight of McMaster's elite rugby athletes in some upcoming international duty. Stars Aaron Carpenter and brothers Dan and Mike Pletch are off to New Zealand on April 16 to compete with the senior Canadian team for four games - including a match against the 2004 U-21 World Cup champion Baby All-Blacks side - while Kozina will be part of a Mac contingent that includes Daniel West, Mark Tarver, Cam Mitchell, Shawn Windsor and Nolan Ott on the U-21 Canadian team going to the Cayman Islands for a tour later in the month.
The first-year Humanities student has been training with the McMaster team since January, rekindling the fire to play another physically demanding sport. After football wrapped up, his Brantford buddy Dante Dedominicis suggested he ditch the pads and come and train with the rugby boys.
"It was nice because I knew so many of the guys," Kozina says, adding that he hadn't played since last August when he was part of an Ontario U-20 team that went to B.C. "It was a bit different, kind of like when I switched over to football. I needed a couple of practices to get comfortable."
Mac rugby coach Phil White says that Kozina has been on the national team radar for quite some time. Already a phenomenal athlete, the additional work with the Marauders in their innovative periodized strength and conditioning program has only helped the 19-year-old former member of the Brantford Harlequins.
"He's got outstanding athleticism," says White. "Jordan's got a huge upside because of his sheer abilities, like his change of direction.
"He also seems to be very engaged in learning. He's a wonderful young guy to coach."
White says that the team has embraced him, holding no ill will whatsoever because of his gridiron background - as along as the shirt is maroon, that's apparently all that matters. The coach believes that Kozina, who is versatile in that he can play 12-man, flanker or inside centre, actually has the potential to reach the pro level in either of his two sports. Kozina has a love for each, despite the aches associated with them.
"Rugby is scarier," he says. "The hits aren't as hard but in football, the pads give you confidence. It just hurts the next day."
Not the case on the pitch, though Kozina does relish the fact he can dish out a bit of punishment as a tackling defender instead of constantly getting popped by vicious linebackers. He says that his breakout rookie season with the football team has generally done a ton for his confidence, something that will undoubtedly help him in both sports. As much as he hates to admit it, Kozina surprised himself with his output for the Marauders in 2005. His first university carry proved to be a sign of things to come as he used his overpowering offensive line to bust down the field for 40 yards.
"My goal coming into camp was just to get a jersey and dress," Kozina says. "Sometimes I would go home at night and say to myself, "˜Did I just do what I did?'
"In a tough situation, I was able to come though. As a first-year athlete, no one really expects that."
His wide-ranging skills are nice to have but it does mean that Kozina might be faced with a big decision in the near future. With the OUA football and rugby seasons overlapping in the fall, it may get to the point where he has to choose one over the other. The upcoming trip to the Cayman Islands should shed some light on the situation as Kozina expects to get a good idea of where he stands both in terms of his play and his status with Rugby Canada.
But first thing's first - the trip with the U-21s chipped into exam time so he was forced to reschedule a big history final. That means four exams in six days.
"I can't complain," Kozina says.
- OUA -
(Photo: Mac rookie Jordan Kozina will get his own chance to do some hitting when he joins an U-21 Team Canada rugby side in an upcoming trip to the Cayman Islands. File photo.)
Kozina is now preparing to get his hands around another type of ball. A skilled rugby player, the Marauders tailback will be joining eight of McMaster's elite rugby athletes in some upcoming international duty. Stars Aaron Carpenter and brothers Dan and Mike Pletch are off to New Zealand on April 16 to compete with the senior Canadian team for four games - including a match against the 2004 U-21 World Cup champion Baby All-Blacks side - while Kozina will be part of a Mac contingent that includes Daniel West, Mark Tarver, Cam Mitchell, Shawn Windsor and Nolan Ott on the U-21 Canadian team going to the Cayman Islands for a tour later in the month.
The first-year Humanities student has been training with the McMaster team since January, rekindling the fire to play another physically demanding sport. After football wrapped up, his Brantford buddy Dante Dedominicis suggested he ditch the pads and come and train with the rugby boys.
"It was nice because I knew so many of the guys," Kozina says, adding that he hadn't played since last August when he was part of an Ontario U-20 team that went to B.C. "It was a bit different, kind of like when I switched over to football. I needed a couple of practices to get comfortable."
Mac rugby coach Phil White says that Kozina has been on the national team radar for quite some time. Already a phenomenal athlete, the additional work with the Marauders in their innovative periodized strength and conditioning program has only helped the 19-year-old former member of the Brantford Harlequins.
"He's got outstanding athleticism," says White. "Jordan's got a huge upside because of his sheer abilities, like his change of direction.
"He also seems to be very engaged in learning. He's a wonderful young guy to coach."
White says that the team has embraced him, holding no ill will whatsoever because of his gridiron background - as along as the shirt is maroon, that's apparently all that matters. The coach believes that Kozina, who is versatile in that he can play 12-man, flanker or inside centre, actually has the potential to reach the pro level in either of his two sports. Kozina has a love for each, despite the aches associated with them.
"Rugby is scarier," he says. "The hits aren't as hard but in football, the pads give you confidence. It just hurts the next day."
Not the case on the pitch, though Kozina does relish the fact he can dish out a bit of punishment as a tackling defender instead of constantly getting popped by vicious linebackers. He says that his breakout rookie season with the football team has generally done a ton for his confidence, something that will undoubtedly help him in both sports. As much as he hates to admit it, Kozina surprised himself with his output for the Marauders in 2005. His first university carry proved to be a sign of things to come as he used his overpowering offensive line to bust down the field for 40 yards.
"My goal coming into camp was just to get a jersey and dress," Kozina says. "Sometimes I would go home at night and say to myself, "˜Did I just do what I did?'
"In a tough situation, I was able to come though. As a first-year athlete, no one really expects that."
His wide-ranging skills are nice to have but it does mean that Kozina might be faced with a big decision in the near future. With the OUA football and rugby seasons overlapping in the fall, it may get to the point where he has to choose one over the other. The upcoming trip to the Cayman Islands should shed some light on the situation as Kozina expects to get a good idea of where he stands both in terms of his play and his status with Rugby Canada.
But first thing's first - the trip with the U-21s chipped into exam time so he was forced to reschedule a big history final. That means four exams in six days.
"I can't complain," Kozina says.
- OUA -
(Photo: Mac rookie Jordan Kozina will get his own chance to do some hitting when he joins an U-21 Team Canada rugby side in an upcoming trip to the Cayman Islands. File photo.)
