Academics, football success draw 2 to Western

Western adds one out-of-province commit and one Ontario commit to their 2018 class.

When it comes to football, having a strong educational background is integral because one day football will end, and linebacker Troy Thompson from Kent School and defensive back Joe Hill from Upper Canada College know they will be getting the best of both worlds with the Western Mustangs.

Troy Thompson

It’s called being a “student-athlete” for a reason; it isn’t always about sports. “I chose Western because of their tradition of success and productivity and because they take academics seriously,” said Troy Thompson. “Picking a school for its academics was just as important as their football program for me.”

Thompson intends on starting in international affairs before applying to the Ivey School of Business. “I want to leave Western with not only a great football experience but also a good degree for life after football,” he said. “Global politics has always been an interest of mine and combining that with an honours business degree would open up a lot of paths for me.”

Beyond academics, the Mustangs’ coaches also swayed Thompson’s decision. He said they were apart of him choosing Western because they were welcoming. “Based on their success, they obviously know what they’re doing,” he added. “They do a great job of developing players during their time in the program and it shows in how many Mustangs go on to the next level.”

While Thompson primarily played as a running back throughout high school, he will be switching to SAM linebacker with the Mustangs. While with the Kent Lions, he played as a running back, rover, punter and kick returner. He joined the Lions after graduating from Howard S. Billings Regional High School in his hometown of Châteauguay, Québec, however he had to repeat his grade 11 year at his new school.

As a member of the Lions, the 5’11, 215lbs athlete was an MVP in his senior year. He also was named to the All-New England team. He received a scholar-athlete award from the National Football Foundation for being on the high honours list at Kent (maintaining a GPA above 90%) along with being an All-New England player. He has also played with the Châteauguay Raiders (QJFL) and the U17 QBFL Elites.

Joe Hill

Joe Hill from Toronto, Ontario, played with the Upper Canada College Blues (CISAA) in high school as a cornerback.

Welcome to Mustang Football Joe Hill. An amazing day full of energy & incredible support from @UCC_Community #CommitToTheWM #CreateHistory18 pic.twitter.com/ELsUq7P0zu

— Western Mustangs FB (@westernuFB) April 16, 2018