Clan: 6 alumni play in Grey Cup game, award presentations thursday night

Burnaby, BC – The Simon Fraser University football team presented 19 year-end awards last Thursday night at the SFU football alumni Legacy Dinner. Winners were voted on by the players.

The night was full of opportunities to reminisce about the 2011 season and also season’s past as every generation of SFU football was represented at the event.

Prior to the final awards of the evening being handed out, SFU football and basketball alumnus Jay Triano gave a stirring keynote speech to the over 200 people in attendance.

“This was a great way to finish off an excellent season,” said Head Coach Dave Johnson. “It was the first time we joined with our alumni for the event and it was great to have so many of our former players there supporting the current members of our team. Our current players really benefited from seeing the successful individuals who came before them. My staff, players and I are very appreciative of all the work that so many people put into the event.”

Freshman Tarrance Crawford (Windsor, ON) was named the Scout Player of the Year on offence while Nathan Shepherd (Ajax, ON) was named the defensive Scout Player of the Year.

Head Coach Dave Johnson and Offensive Coordinator Brent Barnes presented to Most Improved Player Awards to quarterback Trey Wheeler (Seattle, WA) on the offensive side of the ball while Malcolm Allen (North Vancouver, BC) was recognized on the defensive side.

Two players were also awarded for bringing a sense of humour to the locker room and onto the field when Tore Corrado (Vancouver, BC) was named the team’s Offensive Comedian and Fabian Olaru (Port Coquitlam, BC) was named the team’s Defensive Comedian.

The Special Teams Player of the Year Award ended in a tie with Sean Snead (North Bend, WA) and Andrew Torkelson (Oceanside, CA) being recognized.

The Rookie of the Year Award on offence went to Bobby Pospischil (Coquitlam, BC). The freshman wide receiver was one of the Clan’s leading receivers this year with 45 catches.

The defensive Rookie of the Year Award went to Tuomas Nurmi (Helsinki, Finland).

Two players were also recognized with the Clan Pride Award with senior wide receiver BJ Bryant (San Francisco, CA) receiving the honours on the offensive side of the ball while sophomore Casey Chin (Port Moody, BC) got the defensive award.

Chin led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in tackles this season while Bryant led the Clan in receiving yards this year with 394.

Senior Nigel Palma (East Vancouver, BC) was named the team’s Most Inspirational Player on defence.

Kris Gluppe (Mission, BC) was recognized with two awards for his senior season performance with Simon Fraser.

He was awarded the team’s Best Offensive Lineman Award before being recognized as the Clan’s Most Inspirational Player.

Gluppe ends a career with Simon Fraser that began when SFU competed in Canadian Interuniversity Sport to the present squad playing the NCAA division II.

Bo Palmer (North Vancouver, BC) was named Team Captain on defence while Dan Martin (Maple Ridge, BC) was named defensive Team Captain.

Palmer was recognized for his stellar season once again when he was named the Clan’s Offensive Most Valuable Player.

Palmer was instrumental in all three of the Clan’s victory this season. He was second in the GNAC in all-purpose yards, first in average yards per rush with 5.6 and second in total rushing yards with 1219.

The team’s Defensive Most Valuable Player was Justin Capicciotti (Toronto, ON).

Capicciotti was also named the GNAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He led the Clan in sacks with 10 and was third in tackles with 66.

Capicciotti was also named the team’s Best Defensive Lineman.

The night concluded with Simon Fraser’s nine seniors being called up to the main stage. The graduating players were presented with their game helmets and acknowledged by everyone in attendance for their dedication to the Clan.

Former members of the Clan compete for the Grey Cup

Burnaby, BC – Six former Simon Fraser University football players will take part in the 99th Grey Cup this Sunday in Vancouver as the BC Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers each boast three athletes that suited up for the Clan.

Doug Brown (New Westminster, BC) will play in his final CFL game this Sunday with the Blue Bombers.

The veteran had 55 tackles and 8.5 sacks in his senior year at SFU in 1996 and he was named an NAIA All-American that season as well.

Brown went straight to the NFL following his Simon Fraser career, signing with the Buffalo Bills in 1997.

After spending 1997 on the Bills practice roster, Brown moved on to the Washington Redskins and played in 10 games in 1998.

In 2001, Brown came back to Canada and joined the Calgary Stampeders, who held his CFL rights. He was named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian in his first CFL season.

In his ten CFL seasons to date, he has been named a CFL All-Star seven times.

Ibrahim Kahn played with Simon Fraser in Canadian Interuniversity Sport and won the JP Metras Trophy as the top lineman in the country in 2003.

In 2004, he was one of only three Canadians to participate in the East-West Shrine game, a showcase for the next generation of NFL football players.

He was also drafted into the CFL by the Ottawa Renegades in 2004 and showed incredible versatility, appearing in every game with Ottawa as a rookie and playing at tackle, centre and guard.

In 2006, he moved on to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after being selected with the second overall pick in the Ottawa dispersal draft.

Rounding out the contingent of former SFU players on the Blue Bombers is Aaron Hargreaves (Burnaby, BC).

Hargreaves played with the Clan until 2007. He was named a CIS West Division All-Star that year, after recording 45 receptions for 556 yards and scoring one touchdown. He was named SFU’s Offensive Most Valuable Player in 2006 and 2007.

Hargreaves has played with the Blue Bombers for four seasons now and has made 53 catches for 531 yards. He enjoyed his best professional season in 2011, making 29 catches for 292 yards.

The hometown BC Lions also have three former members of the Clan competing for them.

Angus Reid (Richmond, BC) played with the Clan when SFU was competing in the NAIA.

Reid was an NAIA All-American while he was at SFU and he still holds many of the school’s strength records.

He was originally drafted by the Toronto Argonauts fourth overall in 2001 and signed with the Montreal Alouettes after being released by the Argos.

In July of that year, Montreal traded him to BC and he has been with the Lions ever since.

Reid has played in 164 career games in the CFL, nine playoff games and two Grey Cups.

He was named a West Division All-Star in 2004.

Dean Valli (North Vancouver, BC) graduated from his hometown Clan only to be drafted by his hometown BC Lions in the first round of the 2006 draft.

Valli was a fixture on the SFU offensive line for four full seasons and was named to the Canada West All Conference team in 2005.

He also represented the Clan at the 2006 East-West Bowl before being drafted by the Lions.

Valli has played 77 career games with the Lions, appeared in five playoff games and one Grey Cup.

Neil McKinlay (Langley, BC) played with the Blue Bombers before signing with the Lions on October 25, 2011.

He played at SFU from 1999-2003 and was named a CIS First Team All-Canadian Player and a Canada West First Team All-Star as a senior.

McKinlay also won the President’s Trophy as the league’s most outstanding defensive player.

In 2002, he set the CIS record for defensive tackles in a season with 77 and was subsequently named the Clan’s most inspirational athlete of the season.

The six former members of the Clan will compete for the 99th Grey Cup this Sunday at BC Place.