Dinos kick off 2012 training camp Saturday

The 2012 Dinos Football Training Camp, presented by Perpetual Energy, kicks off Saturday at McMahon Stadium with the four-time defending Canada West champion Dinos beginning the defence of their conference title one more time. But despite four straight trips to Bowl games and a pair of Vanier Cup appearances, a fifth national championship in school history has continued to elude the Dinos over their most recent string of success.

Blake Nill’s seventh season as head coach begins with what he calls “one of the best recruiting classes of my career” joining a solid group of veterans, including seven returning All-Canadians from 2011, and this group will push not only for an unprecedented fifth straight Hardy Cup title but ultimately to raise the Vanier Cup on Nov. 23 in Toronto. A total of 95 players will take the field Saturday as the Dinos open camp.

“We did a good job in keeping the local kids that we wanted, and by getting them locked up early we were able to have a very good year recruiting nationally,” Nill said of his incoming class.

The Dinos return six of last season’s school record eight All-Canadians, eight of their 10 Canada West all-stars, and three of their four CFL draft picks. One exception in all three categories is two-time conference defensive player of the year Sam Hurl, a second-round pick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders who is a regular roster player in Regina and demonstrating his worth on the field in the CFL, where he currently leads the league in special teams tackles.

Offensive linemen Kirby Fabien and Carson Rockhill along with linebacker Jordan Verdone are all back after being snapped up in the CFL draft when a CIS-best four Dinos were selected. Fabien and Verdone were 2011 CIS All-Canadians, joining RB Steven Lumbala, OL Quinn McCaughan, DL Linden Gaydosh, and PK Johnny Mark as returning national all-stars.

The two-week training camp begins Saturday with a nearly four-hour ‘power practice’ at McMahon before the Dinos vacate the turf for the Calgary Stampeders’ game against the Toronto Argonauts. Several Dinos players will be in attendance at the CFL contest, signing autographs pre-game alongside their Stamps counterparts. The 2012 season marks the first year of a new ticket deal between the Dinos and Stampeders, with all Stamps season ticket holders receiving Dinos season tickets as part of their package.

2012 DINOS FOOTBALL CAMP – WEEK 1 SCHEDULE

Presented by Perpetual Energy

Thursday, Aug. 16

Medicals. No media availability.

Friday, Aug. 17

Players report; meetings. No media availability.

Saturday, Aug. 18

8:30-9:30 am   Practice 1, McMahon Stadium
10 am-12 pm   Practice 2, McMahon Stadium
5 pm   Calgary Stampeders vs. Toronto Argonauts, McMahon Stadium

Dinos players will be on hand signing autographs as part of the pre-game Kids Day festivities.

Sunday, Aug. 19

9-11 am     Practice 3, McMahon Practice Field
5:30-8 pm     Practice 4, McMahon Stadium

Monday, Aug. 20

9-11 am     Practice 5, McMahon Stadium
5:30-8 pm     Practice 6, McMahon Stadium

Tuesday, Aug. 21

9-11 am     Practice 7, McMahon Practice Field
5:30-8 pm     Practice 8, McMahon Stadium

Wednesday, Aug. 22

9-11 am     Practice 9, McMahon Practice Field
5:30-8 pm     Practice 10, McMahon Stadium

Thursday, Aug. 23

9-11 am     Practice 11, McMahon Practice Field
5:30-8 pm     Practice 12, McMahon Stadium

Friday, Aug. 24

9-11 am     Practice 13, McMahon Practice Field
5:30-8 pm     Practice 14, McMahon Stadium

Saturday, Aug. 25

1 pm   Red-White Scrimmage, McMahon Stadium

2012 DINOS FOOTBALL SEASON SCHEDULE (all times MT)

Saturday, Sept. 1 vs. Regina, 5 p.m., McMahon Stadium (Shaw TV, CanadaWest.tv, QR77)

Friday, Sept. 7 vs. Alberta, 5:30 p.m., McMahon Stadium (CanadaWest.tv)

Saturday, Sept. 15 at Manitoba, 12 p.m., University Stadium (CanadaWest.tv)

Saturday, Sept. 22 at UBC, 3 p.m., Thunderbird Stadium (CanadaWest.tv)

Saturday, Sept. 29 vs. Saskatchewan, 5 p.m., McMahon Stadium (Shaw TV, CanadaWest.tv, QR77)

Friday, Oct. 12 at Alberta, 7 p.m., Foote Field (Shaw TV, CanadaWest.tv)

Friday, Oct. 19 at Regina, 7 p.m., Mosaic Stadium (CanadaWest.tv, QR77)

Saturday, Oct. 27 vs. Manitoba, 5 p.m., McMahon Stadium (CanadaWest.tv, qr77.com)

Saturday, Nov. 3 – Canada West Semi-final (Shaw TV)

Saturday, Nov. 10 – 76th Hardy Cup

Saturday, Nov. 17 – CIS Mitchell Bowl: Canada West Champion @ Ontario Champion (TSN)

Friday, Nov. 25 –Vanier Cup: Mitchell Bowl Champ vs. Uteck Bowl Champ @ Rogers Centre, Toronto (TSN)