Cold Lake native Lanceleve extends career in home province

With an extensive amount of talent and experience, Cold Lake defensive lineman Justin Lanceleve has made a name for himself.

Justin Lanceleve

Position:
Defensive Line

Height/Weight:
6’0, 275 lbs

Teams: 
Jasper Place Rebels (high school)
Cold Lake Royals (high school)
Cold Lake Royals (bantam:  WFL)
Team Alberta

Commitment:
Alberta

Class:
2013

   

For Justin Lanceleve, football began when he was in the sixth grade and attended a spring camp with the Cold Lake Royals, part of the Wheatland Football League. He started out on offense, and during his three years of bantam with the Royals, was named the most valuable offensive lineman and also took home the team’s Pride Award.

Justin then played for the Cold Lake High School team, also called the Royals. He finished off his Grade 10 season by playing for Team Alberta at the 2011 Football Canada Cup tournament in Lethbridge. The team took home the silver medal after losing a close final game to Team Quebec.

“It was the biggest thing that I have ever accomplished until that point,” Justin says of being able to represent his province.

In Grade 11, Justin was named a team captain and the team’s most valuable defensive lineman. He would go on to play for Team Alberta a second time in 2012, this time as a defensive lineman. Once again, the team won silver after losing the championship game to Team Quebec.

“We didn’t win, but it was a game that I just can’t forget,” Justin recalls of his second national tournament, this one in London, Ontario. “It was such a back-and-forth game. It was intense.”

Justin finished his high school career in Edmonton with the Jasper Place Rebels. For the second year in a row he was the most valuable defensive lineman.

Then, he signed with the University of Alberta Golden Bears.

“The new coaching staff had a lot to do with it,” Justin says of his decision. “The head coach preached to me the plan for the team and how there was only room to go up from where they are at now.”

“It also meant that I would stay close to home and that my parents would be able to attend most games.”

For the present, Justin plans on studying business and marketing, though he says that could change. He enjoys several sports aside from football, including lacrosse and arm wrestling. In fact, Justin once came in first in an arm wrestling tournament.

For inspiration, Justin looks to his family, especially his father.

“He was always there for me when I needed it and made every attempt to make it to all my games,” says Justin.  “He was a big part of helping me get recruited.”

Justin’s grandfather also played a large role in his life.

“Whenever I had a bad game or got down about a game he always knew what the right thing to say was and it always made me go hard the next time,” he says. “He did that for everything.”

“He gave me so many words of wisdom for life that it all turned over to football when needed.”

With his years as a Golden Bear coming up, Justin plans to keep his focus on football.

“I look forward to taking the next step in football and I couldn’t ask to be playing for a better program,” he says.