NCAA Canadian profile: Campbell Allison, Eastern Michigan (Kemptville, ON)

Over the next few months CFC will be profiling Canadians playing in the NCAA. CFC tracks all Canadian action south of the border and at the end of the year will update our ‘Canadians in US College’ list.

To check out the list of players that played in the NCAA / NAIA in 2009 please click here.

Check out the bottom of each article for links to other Canadian NCAA player articles.

Today’s Profile:
Campbell Allison
Offensive Line
Eastern Michigan
Freshmen
Kemptville, ON
Kemptville / Ogdensburg Free Academy

For those Canadians who do not already know, talk a little bit about how you got to where you are right now.

For me individually, I had an extremely different and unique journey, that took me from a small Catholic high school in Kemptville, Ontario to a high school in Ogdensburg, New York. My dad new about my great passion to play football at as high of a level possible with that he set out trying to find the best way to get me into a D1 school stateside. Strangely for me, my mother was born in Minnesota so I was able to derive citizenship from her. After a long journey through the process of gaining citizenship I am now a complete American citizen. I started at left tackle and defensive tackle for three years. My first two years I had some success but was not playing to my full potential. My senior year I entered with no real interest from D1 schools. The summer before my senior year I had gone to several camps and new that it was not my skill that was lacking but I was not getting my name out to colleges enough. For my junior and senior years I had a company called NCSA help me by spreading my name and tapes to schools. Even with NCSA I had limited D1 responses. With this in mind I played my senior year and had a fantastic year playing. I received many local recognitions as well as First Team All-State honours, but still no offers. My father and I then set out calling and contacting every D1 school that we thought I could have a potential to play for. Finally I was getting a little more contact with the D1 schools, but still no offers. This changed when I contacted Eastern Michigan’s offensive linemen’s coach, Kurt Anderson and sent him my tape. I was asked for an official visit where I was offered and it has been quite the ride since.

What is the best thing about playing NCAA Football? What is the most challenging thing?

The best thing by far is the fact that you are at a level where you are playing against potential NFL players and that pushes you to new levels. At the same time this is the most challenging thing. The game is so much faster and the quality of the players is very challenging to get used to.

What is your biggest individual goal for 2010 season? Team goal?

My individual goal is to get better and do my job. Right now that Is all my focus is. The team goal is simple, just win.

What is something that people should know about you?

The one thing that I tell every person that asks me about how I made it I say the same thing. I would never have made it here without my father Brad Allison who I owe so much to.

What advice do you have to young football players in Canada?

The few tips I would give is never give up because if its your dream you can do it, get your name out to as many schools as possible because if they don’t know your name than they won’t talk to you, and have someone around you that supports you and your goals and is willing to help you through it.

Past Articles

Jerome Miller RB, Missouri S & T (Toronto)

Philip Blake OL, Baylor (Toronto)

Marco Iannuzzi REC, Harvard University (Calgary)

George Pearkes TE, Duke University (Nelson, BC)

John Bender OL, Nevada (Cochrane, AB)