Ontario Prospect Challenge follow-up profile: Niagara’s Ted Mansell

ontarioprospectchallenge.com

Position: LB
Height/Weight: 6’1, 235Ibs
Teams: Niagara St. Paul
Commitment: N/A
Official Visits: N/A
Consideration: N/A
Class: 2016

Each player who participated in the Ontario Prospect Challenge has grown up engrossed in football, whether from having naturally fallen in love with the game, due to a family history with the game or due to an idolization of an athlete.

As with any sport, football can consume the elite athlete as he or she push to achieve their goals, dedicating all aspects of their life to that ends.

For middle linebacker Ted Mansell, the devotion to football encompasses his every day life.

This summer, Mansell admits he is not only training with his high school team, but he’s also playing  with the Niagara Spears team of the OVFL.

This is a juggling act that only the most dedicated football players can manage.

On top of it all, the young man will also be participating in “various football camps throughout Canada and the United States” in order to “keep progressing as a football player,” he says.

This kind of work ethic is what earned him the captaincy at this year’s Ontario Prospect Challenge (OPC) and the honour for the game’s best defensive player in the marquee match between team West and Central in the “Junior Varsity” class.

Next summer, Mansell hopes to return to the OPC, this time as a member of the “Varsity” class.

His sights are set high too.

Not only does Mansell hope to lead his high school division, where he also captains his team, in tackles and defensive plays this coming fall but he also hopes to repeat as defensive player of the game and captain at next year’s OPC, a tall task considering he’ll be the younger of the two age groups in the class.

To the OPC’s credit, Mansell admits he “learned a lot” about himself, crediting the week as having helped him understand that he can adapt to the different levels he faces, thankful for having the opportunity to play against the best.

Still, Mansell insists the best part of the week was that it still gave him a chance to have fun despite the hard work.

“My favorite part of OPC was the game itself, going to Guelph Stadium, seeing your buddies and playing one really fun football game against the best.”

“I look forward to seeing my old teammates next year,” he said, complimenting them for the chemistry they were able to build on and off the field.