Tag: Taylor Nill

UBC freshman receiver Jason Soriano spent the lost 2020 season honing his skills as a full-time pass-catcher for the Birds. Now, the ex-Vancouver College star is part of three-man receiving core head coach Blake Nill has nicknamed The Smurfs. Soriano digs in on a route during a fall camp session last week. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of Varsity Letters 2021. All Rights Reserved)
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UBC Football 2021: Thunderbirds’ head coach Blake Nill dubs his diminutive, speedy receiver trio of Soriano, Phillips, Williams as ‘The Smurfs’ ahead of Saturday opener at Alberta!

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VANCOUVER — As children of the 2000’s, you couldn’t blame a certain trio of UBC Thunderbirds’ receivers for being a little perplexed last week when head coach Blake Nill announced during a team gathering that he had discovered their perfect nickname.“I have these three guys who are all around 5-10 and they have burners,” explained […]

UBC Thunderbirds' running back Kory Nagata was eulogized this past week by the many he both touched and inspired over his life on and off the football field. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2020. All Rights Reserved)
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A Sunday Tribute: For UBC’s Kory Nagata (1996-2020), football was a glorious portal to the possibilities of life

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RICHMOND — Finding a perfect state of balance while doing the thing you love the most is powerful enough to change the way you see the world.
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Varsity Letters PODCAST welcomes a football coaching trio: SFU’s Thomas Ford, UBC’s Taylor Nill, Langley’s Ryk Piche

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Welcome back to Varsity Letters — The Podcast! You’ll find an embedded player below to listen to this week’s episode! As mid-September hits, footballs are in the air everywhere, including the respective home bases of our three gridiron guests this week. Off theta, Simon Fraser head coach Thomas Ford takes us from fall camp through […]

Tommy Yanchuk, the former Edmonton Huskies pivot, has been named UBC's starting quarterback ahead of the Thunderbirds' season-opening conference clash Saturday night at home against the Regina Rams. (Photo by Gord Mellor property of Gord Mellor Photography 2019. All Rights Reserved)
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UBC names its new starting quarterback: Big-armed Tommy Yanchuk gets the nod as ‘Birds open season Saturday at home to Regina

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VANCOUVER — The UBC Thunderbirds have settled their training camp battle at quarterback.Tommy Yanchuk, a 20-year-old who last season played with the Canadian Junior Football League’s Edmonton Huskies, will command the offence Saturday (7 p.m., Canada West TV) when the ‘Birds open the post-Michael O’Connor era by hosting the Regina Rams at Thunderbird Stadium in […]