Laurier’s Dillon Heap wins Russ Jackson

RUSS JACKSON AWARD – Dillon Heap (Wilfrid Laurier)

Heap is the second Laurier player to win the prestigious Russ Jackson award, after Josh Alexander in 2001.

On the field, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior was the Golden Hawks’ leading receiver and kick returner in his fifth and final university campaign, racking up 40 catches for 625 yards in eight league games as well as 458 yards on 40 punt returns and 121 yards on six kickoff returns en route to second-team all-Canadian status. Over the course of the season, he became only the third player in CIS history to reach the 2000-yard career mark in punt returns (2,113).

Heap was also one of the Hawks’ top performers in the classroom, holding a cumulative grade point average of 10.07 during his time at Laurier in the school’s business program. Last year, the native of Waterloo was honoured with Laurier’s Luke Fuscop Academic Athletic Achievement Award for the second consecutive year as the university’s top academic male athlete. He was also selected as a CIS Top Eight Academic All-Canadian for 2010-11.

Heap does extensive work within the community of Waterloo and completed a two-year mission in Concepcion, Chile, in 2007. He serves as the executive secretary for President James A. McBride of the Kitchener Ontario Stake, teaches Sunday school at the branch, and is the president of the Latter-Day Saints Association at Wilfrid Laurier. As president, he acts as the liaison between the university and the Kitchener Ontario Institute of Religion in order to hold weekend classes on campus. Before this, he also served as the president of Elders Quorum in the Kitchener 3rd Young Single Adult Branch, leading 20 peers for a year.

“Dillon is one of the best athletes ever in our program. He was named to Laurier’s All-Century team while he was still a member of the football program,” said Hawks’ head coach Gary Jeffries. “However, what sets him apart from many great athletes is the fact that he is an ‘A’ student who has mentored fellow student-athletes and is a true leader in the community and at his church.”

Acadia’s Andrew Frazer, McGill’s Austin Anderson and Regina’s Brett Jones were also nominated for the Russ Jackson award.

ALL-TIME RUSS JACKSON AWARD WINNERS (outstanding student-athlete & citizenship)
2011 Dillon Heap, Wilfrid Laurier
2010 Thomas Hall, Manitoba
2009 Thomas Hall, Manitoba
2008 David Hamilton, Toronto
2007 Clovis Langlois-Boucher, Sherbrooke
2006 Naim El-Far, Ottawa
2005 Dan Parker, Mount Allison
2004 Nathan Beveridge, UBC
2003 Curt McLellan, Queen’s
2002 Lincoln Blumell, Calgary
2001 Josh Alexander, Wilfrid Laurier
2000 Carlo Panaro, Alberta
1999 Carlo Panaro, Alberta
1998 Jean-Philippe Darche, McGill
1997 Sam Stetsko, Alberta
1996 Sean O’Neill, Carleton
1995 Ted MacLean, Saint Mary’s
1994 Steve Papp, McGill
1993 David Sykes, Saint Mary’s
1992 David Sykes, Saint Mary’s
1991 J.P. Veri, McGill
1990 J.P. Veri, McGill
1989 Jock Climie, Queen’s
1988 Andrew Allison, Mount Allison
1987 Elio Geremia, Calgary
1986 Charlie Galunic, Queen’s