Job Reinhart’s Successes as a Gryphon Athlete

Job Reinhart has learned some incredibly important lessons in his five years at the University of Guelph, both as a student and an athlete. One that stuck with him was the idea that you need to break an objective down into many small goals. When you can approach your goals on a weekly basis rather than worry about achieving one huge thing, it’s less overwhelming and the result is easier to attain.

Reinhart, a local product and rare two-sport varsity athlete, brought that pragmatic approach into his final season as a Guelph football player and wrestler. And when combined with his obvious ability and unparalleled work ethic, the results were historic.

“I knew it was my last chance to be a Gryphon athlete,” says Reinhart, who ended the year with two of the most prestigious pieces of hardware in the Wildman Trophy and Gryphon Male Athlete of the Year honours. “I was thinking that I have to get the most out of this and put into practice what I had learned the previous four years, so I could be the best I could be.”

Reinhart always looked up to the seniors ahead of him on the football team. When he was a young player, the program anchors like Curtis Newton, James Ingram, Pat McGrath, and John Rush showed him the way. Now it was his turn to lead and guide the underclassmen as they went on their university journey.

“I wanted to lead by example and be someone that everyone could depend on, showing the young guys how to approach the game and the best way to be a Gryphon athlete,” says the linebacker and long snapper, who finished 2019 tying his career-best total tackles mark of 44.5 and adding a career-best 4.5 sacks.

It was an impressive season for both Reinhart and the program, which started a new era under first-year head coach Ryan Sheahan.

“Job is almost a once-in-a-generation type player,” says Coach Sheahan. “He does and says all the right things and is no stranger to hard work. That hard work translates to excellent performances.”

“He has that quiet cool in his leadership style that our players had tremendous respect for. Every accolade the university has bestowed upon him, he has deserved it.”

When the season came to an end after a 19-9 loss to the eventual Yates Cup champion McMaster Marauders in the OUA semi-final, Reinhart didn’t feel the gravity of it immediately. He was upset about the loss but what it meant took a while to set in. The next day, he realized the truth.

“I could not believe that five years of Gryphon Football had come and gone in the blink of an eye,” Reinhart says, finding solace in the relationships he made and the things he experienced. “I knew I would miss it so much.”

Reinhart seemed destined to be a Gryphon from a young age. His mother Ellen says that her youngest of three boys always had the support of his older brothers. He had a love of the outdoors, especially Algonquin Park. By the age of eight, he was playing for the Guelph Bears and he eventually became a fan of Gryphon Football. Those who wore the red, black, and gold were his heroes and he wanted to follow suit.

“We encouraged Job to take a good look at all the opportunities for university, though I don’t think he had thoughts of going anywhere other than Guelph,” says Ellen. “Our family has a lot of love for the city and the university, so we were very happy with his decision. It is a great school and home games were very easy to attend with family and friends.”

Reinhart says the move from Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute to the U of G was pretty easy – just a longer bike ride. He did have his worries but once he got to campus, though the Landscape Architecture student was pleasantly surprised with the reception from his teams.

“The welcome from the players and coaches in both sports was something else,” says Reinhart. “They pushed me to work as hard as possible and have high standards. It was an awesome transition. It made me want to work hard to give back to those programs.”

In football, Reinhart was able to focus on teamwork, using bursts of energy, and the X’s and O’s of the game. Wrestling was completely different. Cardio is critical, as is the ability to problem solve and be creative because you will always find yourself in an unfamiliar position.

Wrestling has been important for Reinhart, particularly this year when he had to leave university football behind him for good.

“I was able to get back on the mat and work with a bunch of awesome wrestlers,” he says. “We had a really great team this year. It was nice to focus my energy on something else and go as hard as I could for my final year.

“It’s a similar culture. You have to be physical, there is no complaining allowed, and you go to work every day. You can’t just be talking. Actions speak louder than words.”

Reinhart has thrived in a sport he has only competed in for a short time, winning an OUA gold medal in the 100kg division in 2018 and finishing 2020 with an OUA silver and a victory in his last ever match that earned a bronze at nationals for the second straight year. While in football, he can access an entire staff for guidance, in wrestling, he has one mentor – long-time head coach Doug Cox.

“Coming into university and not knowing much about wrestling, Doug was always there to help me out,” Reinhart says of the selfless coach, who has had a big impact. “I have always felt like he believed in me. He would push me so hard because he knew I had potential. He lives his life in a way that I want to model mine.

“You can’t get a better coach or role model than Doug Cox.” 

When Reinhart came to the U of G five years ago, he could not have dreamed of how his career would end. He was caught off guard at the event in January when his name was added to the prestigious list of Wildman Award winners, as well as earning the Donald Forster award as team MVP. In April, Reinhart watched online with his family as he was also named the Gryphon Male Athlete of the Year.

They were amazing achievements for a Guelph kid that did it all on his home turf.

“I definitely did not expect my career to go this way at all,” he says. “There were lots of challenges along the way but I had so many awesome coaches and teammates who kept pushing me. I just hope I can live up to the high standard that previous Gryphons who have won those awards set.”

“We couldn’t be prouder,” adds Ellen. “(Dad) John and I were so pleased that Job’s hard work and sacrifices were recognized in such a way.”

Coach Sheahan was also filled with pride. He references one of the common lines from defensive coordinator Dennis McPhee, who repeatedly states that “Job is the kind of guy that if you’re daughter walks in the door with him, you’ve won the lottery.”

“Job is one of the many reasons that we get into coaching,” the coach says. “He gets it. It goes beyond the field. He will leave us and be an outstanding member of his community, and represent his institution, his city, and his family very well.”

Reinhart has completed his Landscape Architecture degree and his university athletic career. He’s not ruling out a shot at the CFL after being drafted by the Calgary Stampeders in 2019. But for now, his focus is on joining the police force. Reinhart is well into the interview process and will hopefully know in a couple months if he gets an invite to the academy.

He is at currently at home with his parents, and despite the pandemic, is keeping busy with his job mentoring youth, and working out with big brother Jake at an outdoor gym they built.

One important chapter in Reinhart’s life has closed. But the hard-working Guelphite is ready for the next one, just thankful he lived out a dream as a Gryphon.

“I could not have had a better experience,” says Reinhart.

Written By: David Dicenzo