Axemen land five recruits (VIDEO)

Newest recruits to join AUS team’s 2015 class span four provinces 

Acadia Axemen has announced the addition of five recruits to their football program.

This group of recruits spans over four provinces – British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Tyler Hill, Rory Kelly, Jeffrey Beattie, Bwenge Namutereza and Simon Richardson will join the team for the 2015 AUS season.

“These five guys are a testament to the recruiting strength of Acadia University, representing four different provinces across the country,” commented Axemen Head Coach Jeff Cummins.  “Each of these guys possesses a skill set and desire to be great and each wants to graduate with an Acadia degree that will carry them well beyond the next five years.”

“Tyler and Rory will come in and instantly add depth and push on the defensive side. Jeff Beattie has some large shoes to fill in the kicking game but is up to the task as he fills in for Second Team All-Canadian Ryan Begin. Lastly, with the rash of injuries at quarterback and running back last season, both Simon and Bwenge are being looked at as potential dressers in their first seasons. We are very proud to have their commitment and expect big things from each of them as we put ourselves back on the national stage of Canadian football.”

Tyler Hill

TYLER HILL:

The 6’1, 190 pound linebacker (outside) from Nanaimo, British Columbia will be making a move to the East Coast.

Recently, Hill completed his career with John Barsby Bulldogs of the British Columbia High School Football Association (BCHSFA).

Tyler Hill 1

This past season, the linebacker registered 66 tackles, caught five interceptions, recorded three sacks and had two forced fumbles.

“The main factors in committing were the coaching staff and strength on the program over the past decade and just the feel of the campus on my visit,” said Hill of his commitment to the Axemen.

Rory Kelly 1

RORY KELLY:

The 6’2, 180 pound defensive back from Moncton, New Brunswick will commence his CIS career in Wolfville.

Kelly has played for the Moncton Purple Knights of the New Brunswick High School Football League (NBHSFL). This past season, the defensive standout caught 12 interceptions, registered over 40 tackles and scored two touchdowns.  For his efforts on the field, he was selected as a NBHSFL Western Conference All-Star.

Rory Kelly 2

Overall, the decisive factors for Kelly were academics as well as the strength of the football program.

“I chose Acadia not only for the football program but the education Acadia offers and it is perfect for me and how the professors do everything in their power to help you succeed outside of education,” elaborated the New Brunswick defensive back, who has previously played at the free safety, cornerback positions as well a kick return specialist.  “I chose Acadia because of their great football program they offer; the coaching staff that I saw when I was down was amazing as well the fact that they have a full time trainer contributed to my decision as well!”

Jeffrey Beattie commitment 1

JEFFREY BEATTIE:

The 5’9, 165 pound kicker/punter from Hamilton, Ontario is thrilled to become an Axemen.  Recently, he capped off his career with Sherwood Saints of the Hamilton-Wentworth Intercollegiate Athletic Association (HWIAA) on a high note as he was successful on a season best 48 yard field goal.

Jeffrey Beattie commitment 2

Beattie issued the following statement regarding his commitment to the Axemen:

“I committed to Acadia for many reasons.  “My dad and I went there for a visit not knowing what to expect; I was just looking to feel at home because going that far away to live is huge and the main focus was to feel comfortable.”

“The first day I just knew that was the place I wanted to be everyone was super nice, it’s a small town so everybody knows everybody which I loved that.”

“The best part about Acadia is that I know I will succeed not only athletically but also academically, Acadia gives me the best opportunity to be an all Canadian academically and athletically.”

“Just talking to the players and hanging out with them understanding the university I felt at home very fast.”

“One thing that caught my dad’s attention was that Coach Cummins does class checks and makes sure his athletes are doing well in school. The football program impressed me and my visit was more than amazing, the strength and conditioning coach and all the coaching staff treats you more like a family member then just a kid.”

“I feel with my years there we will win a few AUS championships and hopefully play my buddies from Ontario in the finals.”

“I am very excited to start my career as an Axemen.  I look up to kicker/punter Liram Harjullahu from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and hope to have the success he did in the CIS.”

Bewenge 1

BWENGE NAMUTEREZA:

The 5’7, 165 pound running back from Ottawa, Ontario comes with a wealth of experience.

Among the teams, he has previously suited up for include St. Patrick’s Fighting Irish of the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association (NCSSAA), Cumberland Panthers of the Ontario Varsity Football League (OVFL) and Ottawa Stampeders of the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA).

This past season with the Stampeders, Namutereza amassed 359 rushing yards (average of 6.1 yards per carry), four touchdowns, 67 receiving yards and a major as well as 426 all-purpose yards. Playing in the defensive back position for the Panthers, he registered eight solo and seven assisted tackles.

Bewenge 2

Namutereza gave the following statement regarding his commitment to the Axemen:

“I chose to commit to Acadia University because I felt like primarily the university’s education style of smaller classes would be beneficial to my learning style.”

“The coaching staff has been very welcoming and has welcomed and developed several Ottawa athletes from previous recruiting years- some that I’ve gotten to play with/against before their transition to AUS and have all relayed positive feedback from the AUS programs as well as Acadia University.”

“This gave me a good vibe and understanding that it’s an environment I want to be a part of, contribute, and develop from.”

“I got the chance to exchange a few words with Coach Shad [McLachlan], Acadia University Defensive Coordinator, when he came down to Ottawa. What stood out to me was that as we introduced ourselves to each other, Coach Shad knew who I was and what my play style is like amongst the many other Ottawa athletes that congressed to meet Coach Shad.  This gave me an understanding that the coaching staff care about the development and contribution of their athletes.”

“I’m confident and excited to be a part of the family.”

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SIMON RICHARDSON:

The 6’4, 170 pound quarterback guided the Citadel Phoenix of the Nova Scotia Student Athletic Federation Football League (NSSAFFL) to the Provincial Tier 1 Championship this past November.

During the 2014 season, the Nova Scotia standout racked up 1400 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, four interceptions and compiled a completion percentage of 69 percent.

Richardson was selected as an NSSAFFL Division 1 First-Team All-Star at the quarterback position. Last week, he was named the Phoenix’ Offensive MVP.

Ultimately, the pivot chose the Axemen because of the opportunity to excel on the field and in the classroom.

“I chose Acadia based on the fact that I wanted to receive a good education with them being one of the top undergraduate schools in the country,” commented Richardson.  “I can’t wait to learn from an excellent coaching staff who doesn’t just want you to excel on the field but off the field as well.”

“The team shows a great opportunity to win championships on the field in the future.”

(twitter: http://twitter.com/vohra_ameeta)

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