St. Thomas More football is going to stretch its influence over nearly half of North America next season.
Six graduating Knight players earned athletic scholarships to Canadian universities and institutions south of the border this year, including B.C. high school provincial all-star running back Malcolm Lee, who committed to the University of Nevada at Reno for the coming season.
“It’s been a dream of mine to play Division I football as high as I can,” said Lee, a 6-2 wide receiver who was forced into the role of pivot when starting quarterback Chase Malcolm was slowed with injuries.
Malcolm is headed to Laurier University in Ontario under a new, young coaching staff.
Also headed east are B.C. team linebacker Noah Usherwood and all-Eastern conference defensive lineman Kevin Marshall to Western Ontario, and defensive back Drew Belgrave to the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
Jalen Jana, who had to sit out the entire school year with injuries associated with a torn ACL last season, will redshirt his first season at Cheyney University, a Div. II college in Pennsylvania.
“It says we are pretty fortunate to have athletes who are so committed. I’m happy to see them get scholarships and get their education paid for,” said STM head coach Bernie Kully. “They’ll have to earn their spots, coming up the ladder and learning those priorties, but it’s good to see.”
While Usherwood and Lee were both provincial team picks, Belgrave and Marshall were all-conference all-stars on defence.
Jana was named a provincial defensive team all-star in 2012. In the same season, Malcolm put up the third-best passing numbers in the AAA varsity league, including a second-best 74.8 per cent completion percentage.
“I had a great time at the school,” said Malcolm. “A lot of great players have come from STM. It’s a great way to get your name out there.”
The others would agree, but decisions were made on more than just football.
“(Western Ontario) was the right school for me. It has a great business program, and I’ll be pursuing a business program,” said Marshall.
Usherwood followed his teammate to London, Ont. for the good balance of academics and sport at Western.
“The coaches liked my aggressiveness and attitude, too,” he said.
Belgrave is also planning a future in business and found Edmonton the place to play and study.
But what sold him was the coaching staff. “It’s a new program. I’ll be coming in with a big group of guys,” he said, while adding, “academically, it’s a good school.”
Malcolm was also influenced by Laurier’s incoming head coach Michael Faulds, a former Ontario university player of the year and holder of the all-time passing record in Canadian college football.
“I hope … I’ll learn a lot from him. Laurier was looking for an option quarterback with speed,” said Malcolm.
Jana also has high hopes at Cheyney, the first university for African Americans in the country with a rich tradition of excellence.
“I can see myself starting after my freshman year, so that’s pretty exciting for me,” said Jana.
But all six of the Knights will likely never forget where their beginnings took root.
“It’s a special place to play,” said Jana of STM. Lee agreed, adding to be able to contribute to the great Knight tradition was “cool”.
Marshall described his time at STM as “the best experience in my life. It was playing with brothers,” he said.
But Usherwood, for all his outward bravado, was perhaps the most humble in his praise.
“Coming (to STM) as a nobody and then being able to earn a scholarship. Football has really helped me in that way,” he said.
