May 19, 2006
TOUGH CHOICE FOR MARAUDER
By Larry Moko
The Hamilton Spectator
HAMILTON - McMaster Marauders expected Jordan Kozina to be a breakaway runner. But they weren't counting on him breaking away from the sport of football.
Kozina, who rushed for 1,191 yards on 158 carries last season and was one yard away from the Ontario University Athletics rookie ground-gaining record, faces a tough decision. He'll have to choose between football and rugby.
When asked if there's a chance that the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder won't be suiting up for Mac's 2006 OUA football season, Marauders' head coach Stefan Ptaszek said: \"There is ... no question.\"
The Brantford resident was given permission by the Mac coaching staff to miss spring football camp so he could play for the Canadian Under-21 rugby team on its recent tour of the Cayman Islands. That squad went undefeated in four starts. Kozina was used at inside centre.
\"Jordan looked very good,\" Canadian U-21 coach Tim Murdy said from Vancouver. \"He recently switched over to the back line. He possesses all the raw materials -- power, size, strength, speed. Jordan just needs some work on his core skills because it's a new position for him.\"
Murdy said Kozina will be invited to an August camp on Vancouver Island where the 26-man roster for a 12-day tour of Ireland in November is to be selected. There are conflicts because Mac football holds training camp during the last two weeks of August and league playoffs are in November.
\"Jordan is a talented athlete with a bright future,\" Murdy said. \"He'll have to make some decisions in a relatively short period about the route he wants to go. He's got opportunities in both sports.\"
Ptaszek said he is attempting to contact Kozina to discuss the situation. \"I like both sports equally,\" Kozina said earlier this week. \"It's a hard decision.\"
When asked if he could continue to pursue both, Kozina said: \"I really haven't thought about it. I don't know if I'd really want to do that. I don't know if it would be an option.\"
Kozina says if he doesn't land a berth for the Ireland trip, he would like to play football. \"If Jordan wants to play rugby,\" Ptaszek said, \"everybody will support him. There are absolutely no issues with a guy who has that opportunity. No one would bear him any ill will.\"
lmoko@thespec.com
905-526-2458
Reprinted with permission from The Hamilton Spectator.
(Photo: File photo by Cameron Dunlop.)
