Notre Dame senior wide receiver Chase Claypool has always found the time to stay connected with his former high school head coach Jay Fujimura and the rest of the Abbotsford Panthers football program. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2020. All Rights Reserved)
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Chase Claypool: From Abby Panthers to Notre Dame, Irish star receiver shows why he’s a big catch ahead of NFL Draft 2020!

It was back on Feb. 27 that the NFL’s statistical research department sent out a tweet which seemed to officially confirm the unique qualities of Notre Dame senior receiver Chase Claypool.

Defensive lineman Kaishaun Carter (left) and receiver/return man Jason Soriano are two of B.C.'s blue-chip graduating Class of 2020 set to begin their university football careers next season with the UBC Thunderbirds. (Photos by Howard Tsumura, Varsity Letters, and Richard Lam, UBC athletics. All Rights Reserved. Photo graphic by Gabriel Lynn)
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A Sunday Read: UBC football coach Blake Nill says Jason Soriano, Kaishaun Carter “…the ones who can make you Coach of the Year”

VANCOUVER — UBC Thunderbirds football in the Blake Nill-era hit its low ebb in 2019, yet four seasons after its rousing, unexpected 2015 Vanier Cup national championship title debut, a second wind has begun to blow through the ranks of the blue and gold.

UBC Thunderbirds head coach Blake Nill, along with the rest of the 'Bird football staff, will go on-line Wednesday to introduce the blue-and-gold program to over 100 current Grades 11 high school standouts as part of its virtual Junior Day. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
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UBC football 2020: ‘Birds hold ‘virtual’ Junior Day on Wednesday as pandemic forces teams to think outside the box

VANCOUVER — Like all programs headed towards the fall sports season of play, the UBC Thunderbirds football team is keeping the health of everyone involved first and foremost during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the age of 42, former BYU Cougars' receiver Mike Rigell was last month named the new interim head coach of Simon Fraser Clan football. (Photo by Jacob Hall property of Simon Fraser athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
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A SUNDAY READ: Hailing from a decorated football family tree, new Simon Fraser head coach Mike Rigell hopes to plant deep Burnaby Mountain roots

BURNABY — There is an old saying about how storms can test our ability to stand tall, and in the process help our roots grow deeper.For new Simon Fraser head football coach Mike Rigell, who hails from a football coaching tree which traces its lineage back to some of game’s true greats, such deep-seeded roots […]

Over a senior season in which he led the brought all of his substantial skills to the fore, Simon Fraser Clan senior receiver opened eyes all over the college football world. On Sunday he plays in the 2020 Hula Bowl at Honolulu's venerable Aloha Stadium. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Simon Fraser Clan athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
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The rise of Rysen John: NFL scouts reaching out as Simon Fraser Clan receiver heads to Hawaii and suits up in Sunday’s Hula Bowl

BURNABY — As Rysen John prepares for his biggest audition yet, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that NFL eyes have begun to focus on Simon Fraser’s captivating senior receiver.

Less than a full year removed from playing his final high school game with East Van's Notre Dame Jugglers, Simon Fraser freshman cornerback Jerrell Cummings (8) came into Saturday's GNAC clash against Western Oregon tied for the conference lead in passes defended this season. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Simon Fraser Clan athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
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Simon Fraser football 2019: Greenhouse growth spirals among Clan freshmen like cornerback Jerrell Cummings

BURNABY — He caught a touchdown pass on the turf at B.C. Place Stadium in his final high school game last Nov. 17 for East Vancouver’s Notre Dame Jugglers.Late Saturday afternoon, less than 365 days after that 35-21 Subway Bowl quarterfinal round loss to the Terry Fox Ravens, Jerrell Cummings walked off the field at […]

UBC's second-year defensive back Jaxon Ciraolo-Brown is living up to his potential as a future star. The Hamilton native came up with three interceptions Saturday against the Calgary Dinos. (Photo by David Moll property of Calgary Dinos athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
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Thunderbird Stadium was a ‘Land of Opportunity’ for youthful UBC football in 2019, Saturday loss in Calgary turns page on next chapter

In his 20-plus seasons as a U Sports head football coach, Blake Nill has made a habit of his coaching his teams into national-title contention.When exactly the opposite happens to the degree with which it did this season, it’s no wonder that the UBC Thunderbirds’ veteran football boss was having a tough time coming to […]

Is he set to become the new face of UBC football in 2020? 'Birds quarterback Gabe Olivares engineered his team's 38-37 win over No. 3 Saskatchewan on Saturday at T-Bird Stadium. (Photo by Darryl Dyck property of UBC athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
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A SUNDAY READ: Why UBC football’s upset stunner over No. 3 Saskatchewan has ‘Birds coach Nill convinced it’s deja vu, all over again

VANCOUVER — Blake Nill didn’t hesitate for a second. When placekicker Garrin McDonnell booted his fifth field goal of the day, an 11-yarder with just 31 seconds to play to lift the underdog UBC to a most improbable 38-37 win over a Saskatchewan Huskies’ team ranked No. 3 in the nation, the grizzled Thunderbirds’ head coach […]

SFU rookie quarterback Brandon Niksich was near perfect through the air as he engineered three second-half scoring drives to lead the Clan past host Azusa Pacific on Saturday in California. (Photo property of Crossview Studios through the permission of Azusa Pacific Athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
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A Sunday Read: How Simon Fraser football snapped its 48-game losing streak! “It’s just the beginning for us” says Clan coach Ford

Sooner rather than later, Thomas Ford wants nights like Saturday to be business as usual.But he knew just as well as anyone who has held an emotional stake in Simon Fraser football over the past five-plus seasons that Canada’s NCAA team was smack dab in the middle of very a special moment.“Oh, man it was […]