Erik Glavic has won virtually every award imaginable.
He's a two-time Hec Crighton trophy winner as the most outstanding player in Canadian university football and the reigning Canadian Interuniversity Sport athlete of the year after winning the BLG Award in 2010. He's a perennial all-star and All-Canadian and a two-time Uteck Bowl champion.
But there's one empty spot right in the middle of his trophy case, a spot he has just one more chance to fill.
Glavic will lead the University of Calgary Dinos into their 47th season of Canada West football this fall with just one goal in mind—hoisting the Vanier Cup in Quebec City in late November. The long road to that goal began Saturday August 21 when the Dinos opened their fall training camp at McMahon Stadium.
Getting back on the field will finally give the Dinos a chance to remove the bitter taste of a national championship that got away last season when Calgary gave up an 18-point halftime advantage to lose the Vanier Cup 33-31 to Queens University. That loss provided motivation for the Dinos' off-season workouts, and Glavic says his team is ready to make another run.
"Of course the Vanier is the ultimate goal, but there's so much you have to do before that," said the fifth-year quarterback. "We have to take it one game at a time. I think we've done a good job of getting past last year and putting all of our focus on the year coming up. We have a very good squad coming back and I think everybody's excited to make another run."
Head coach Blake Nill enters his fifth season at the helm. As two-time defending conference champions, there's no question the Dinos will be considered a favourite in 2010. But when the 96 players hit the field Saturday morning, Nill was preaching against complacency, especially because Calgary opens the season for the third straight year against their number one rivals, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
“There are a lot of expectations this year, and rightfully so,” says Nill. “We've definitely made strides, but at the same time Canada West is so tough that you're going to have to play to your best every week. Starting against Saskatchewan, you've got to be ready to go right now.”
Nill will put the players through their paces with seven days of two-a-day practices at McMahon Stadium, followed by an exhibition game against the Alberta Golden Bears on Saturday, August 28 at Shouldice Park's Hellard Field.
August 26, 2010