Football Canada adds five OUA standouts to senior men's national team
Football Canada has added eight players, including five from OUA teams, to the Senior Men’s National Team as the coaching staff led by Larry Haylor looks to build a roster for the 2011 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Senior Men’s World Championships, to be held July 8-16 in Austria.
Joshua Sacobie, a quarterback from Fredericton, NB, joins Michael Faulds as the team’s pivots. Sacobie earned the 2007 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference MVP during his time with the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, earning the nod as the OUA’s Hec Crighton nominee. Josh is ranked fifth in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) career passing yards (9,885) and second in career touchdowns with 79.
Whoever is under centre will be well protected with the additions of Matt Norman, Reed Alexander and Daniel Bederman. Norman, originally from Montreal, QC, is a 2010 first-team all-Canadian offensive lineman currently playing at The University of Western Ontario while Reed Alexander is a University of Calgary offensive lineman who was selected in the 4th round of the most recent (2011) CFL draft, 31st overall by the Montreal Alouettes. Bederman is a two-time OUA All-Star who won the Vanier Cup with the Queen’s Gaels in 2009.
The team’s receiving core has also been strengthened with the addition of two Wilfred Laurier Golden Hawks. Shamawd Chambers recently impressed scouts at the 2011 CIS East-West Bowl. Entering his fourth year at Laurier in 2011, Chambers is a two-time OUA second-team all-star who is highly regarded going into next year’s CFL draft. Dante Luciani, helped set-up the 2005 Vanier Cup game-winning field goal against the University of Saskatchewan with a late fourth quarter 17-yard third down reception. In his last year in the CIS he recorded 25 catches for 259 yards and 7 touchdowns. Luciani spent time in Edmonton, Montreal and Winnipeg after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 CFL draft by the Eskimos.
Rounding out the additions are receiver/ running back, Jahmeek Murray and defensive back, Julien Hamel. Hamel earned a second-team all-Canadian honour for his play at the Université de Montréal during the 2010 season registering 5 interceptions, 20 tackles, and 1 forced fumble. Murray won the Rookie of the Year in 2009 at Saint Mary’s University after leading the Atlantic conference in total kick return yards (360 yards) and kick return average (22.5 yards/return). He also ranked second in the CIS in both categories and was named the Atlantic University Sport special teams player of the week twice and CIS player of the week during the 2009 season.
A group of 50 players will be invited to the final training camp in London, ON, June 24- July 2. The coaching staff will finalize a 45-man roster which Football Canada will send to compete at the IFAF Senior Men’s World Championship in Austria, July 8-16.
Name - Position - Hometown
Reed Alexander OL Medicine Hat, AB
Daniel Bederman OL Toronto, ON
Shamawd Chambers REC Markham, ON
Julien Hamel DB Boucherville, QC
Dante Luciani REC Oakville, ON
Jahmeek Murray REC/ RB Mississauga, ON
Matt Norman OL Montreal, QC
Joshua Sacobie QB Fredericton, NB
For more information on the Canadian National Team please visit www.footballcanada2011.com.
About Football Canada
Established in 1884, Football Canada is the national governing body of amateur football in Canada and a proud member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). Working closely with the provincial football associations, we develop programs and resources for players, coaches and officials in the three disciplines of Tackle, Flag and Touch Football. Football Canada’s vision statement is “from playground to stadium” where players can participate in the game of football throughout a lifetime recreationally, competitively and internationally.
About Football Canada’s National Teams
Football Canada has a previous track record of success, winning a pair of silver medals at both the 2009 Junior Men’s and 2010 Senior Women’s International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championships. Our Men’s and Women’s Senior Flag National Teams also have a successful track record winning multiple medals including a Women’s gold at the 2010 IFAF Flag World Championships as well as a Men’s gold and Women’s silver at the 2008 World Championships. This summer marks Football Canada’s first entry into the fourth International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Senior Men’s World Championship, slated for July 8-16 in Austria. The 2011 National Team coaching staff is led by former University of Western Ontario Mustangs Head Coach Larry Haylor, Defensive Coordinator Blake Nill (University of Calgary) and Offensive Coordinator Greg Marshall (Western). The coaching staff is rounded out by Brian Towriss (University of Saskatchewan), Jeff Cummins (Acadia University), Steve Sumarah (Saint Mary’s University) and Pat Tracey (Queen’s University).
About IFAF
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) unites 59 countries on five continents through a burgeoning international sport. With national football federations in existence for more than 75 years, IFAF was created in 1998 to organize and further develop the game through international cooperation and global competition. The IFAF office is located near Paris, France. For more information please visit www.ifaf.info.
Source: Football Canada
