Team of the Decade

Stu Lang remembers the discussions he would have with teammates from the Edmonton Eskimos dynasty years. Winning five consecutive Grey Cups was an incredible feat – and there were several factors involved.

“We asked ourselves, ‘How did this happen?,” Lang says. “We had great coaches and a GM and there was some luck and fate. It was also the result of something coming together and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

That growth into a power is what Lang wanted for Gryphon Football when he took over the reins in 2010 after a year as the wide receivers coach. And the recently-named Guelph Gryphons Team of the Decade is a reflection of an incredible past 10 years for this program.

The highlight of this stretch came in 2015 when Guelph was able to once again hoist the Yates Cup after an historic 23-17 comeback win over Western in London. It was one of those signature victories that all aspiring powerhouses need. Lang wanted the program to become synonymous with success, to be mentioned in the same conversations as the Mustangs, McMaster, and Queen’s. Guelph had its share of success over the decades, including a landmark Vanier Cup win in 1984.

But the goal was to be consistent and establish an identity. Lang calls it a “rebirth” and over the past 10 years, Guelph was a place where the best players wanted to be.

“When you try to develop a program, we often talk about that critical game,” says Lang. “Maybe that game you win that you weren’t supposed to win. It gives the team confidence. We’re thinking we can but now we’ve actually done it.

“In addition to that, it’s getting one or two players that come to your program, who demonstrate to others that ‘this is the place to go.’ John Rush was one of them.

“It showed the others that Guelph was a destination.”

Rush, a Presidents’ Trophy winner in the Gryphons’ Yates Cup season and also a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers team that won the 2019 Grey Cup, became a fixture at linebacker for a program on the rise. He earned a spot on the Team of the Decade with his tenacious play and incredible leadership.

Rush is just one example of the quality of player that has suited up in the red, black, and gold since 2010. Quarterback Jazz Lindsey, a dual threat at a critical position, was a catalyst for the offence in the early part of the decade. Lindsey set Guelph’s all-time record for most completions (34) and passing yards in a game when he threw for 513 against Western on October 18, 2014. A’dre Fraser proved to be a big addition at the wide receiver position and not only because of his prodigious talent – he came from the Maritimes, signalling to Guelph’s OUA foes that the program was attracting elite players from all over the country.

Guelph has historically had great running backs and they landed another gem when Johnny Augustine came to the U of G via Welland. Augustine finished his distinguished career as the second-leading rusher in Gryphon history, amassing 483 carries for 2,742 yards and 28 touchdowns.

“It is an honour to be named to the Team of the Decade, especially with all the greats who have come through that program,” says Augustine, who teamed with Rush for the 2015 Yates Cup win and the 2019 Grey Cup victory. “I remember a recruiting visit to Guelph and seeing the Team of the Decade signs and knowing how I wanted to be up there. So when I heard, I was in awe.

“The group that is recognized is very special, the best of the best. The guys on the other side of the ball, like Rush, Curtis Newton, and Tristan Doughlin, I saw them practice and knew they were the best defence in the country every year I was there.”

Augustine says his favourite memory “hands down” is the Yates win over Western.

“The celebration afterwards with Coach Lang will always be a memory I keep,” he says.

Augustine mentions the vision of all the players and the staff, who refused to fall short, to keep pursuing their goals, which are lessons that extend beyond the football field. Luke Korol was another example of a Gryphon player who took that approach. The star linebacker was a menace and ranks third on the program’s list of most primary tackles in a career with 185, behind only Rush (193) and Mike Hradil (198).

“I didn’t play with all of these guys throughout my five years but their names are still circled around the locker room to this day, which shows the impact they have had on the program,” says Korol, a Wildman Award winner and team MVP in 2019.

“When I think of this past decade, I am reminded of my football journey. From being recruited by Guelph, to committing, playing five years, and then entering the CFL. It has been such an amazing experience and I couldn’t picture it happening at any other university. The memories I have made along the way will stick with me forever – and I can’t wait for more to come as I watch from the stands.”

Like Augustine, Cam Walker remembers seeing the names of those that came before him. Walker put together a stellar career at Guelph, achieving OUA All-Star honours, as well as a Team Defensive Player of the Year nod. The supremely-talented defensive end has gone on to enjoy a great CFL career, which included winning the 105th Grey Cup as a member of the Toronto Argonauts alongside his Guelph brothers and fellow Team of the Decade members Alex Charette, Jake Reinhart, Jeff Finley, and Newton.

“I watched those signs go up in the gym over the years and being on the 2010-2019 team was something I always aspired to,” says Walker. “Gryphon Football during my time was a resilient group. Not always the most talented team but a group that put the work in year-round and developed a culture of being competitive every time we stepped on the field.”

Over the past 10 years, the program has answered that question of how to become elite and sustain it. Guelph showed what it could offer to the best players in the country with its superior coaching and facilities, and they have come, helping establish that desired consistency. Through character players like Newton, the Reinharts (Jake and Job), championship-winning quarterback James Roberts, special teams stars Gabe and Daniel Ferraro and Ryan Nieuwesteeg, defensive difference-makers like Royce Metchie, Dotun Aketepe, and Mike Millar, as well as a long list of others on the Team of the Decade, Gryphon Football restablished itself as one of the OUA powers. More players went on to compete at the professional level than any previous decade, a strong indicator of the program’s recent evolution.

“These Guelph teams were in a way similar to my experience in Edmonton,” says Lang. “They compiled wins and seemed to jell together.

“It’s a little bit of fate.”

Team of the Decade

Offence

QB – Jazz Lindsey, James Roberts

RB – Johnny Augustine, Rob Farquharson

REC – A’dre Fraser, Kade Belyk, Alex Charette, Jacob Scarfone, Kian Schaffer-Baker

OL – Jake Piotrowski, Kyle Fraser, Andrew Pickett, Cam Wilhelm, Matt Nesbitt, Colin Jerome, Coulter Woodmansey, Matt Toppan, Eric Starczala

Special Teams – Ryan Nieuwesteeg, Gabriel Ferraro, Daniel Ferraro, Dan MacDonald, AJ Allen

Defence

DL – Mike Millar, Jeff Finley, Greg Corfield, Cam Thorn, Donnie Egerter, Cam Walker

LB – Curtis Newton, Lukas Korol, John Rush, Jake Reinhart, Job Reinhart

DB – Mark Durigon, Colin Mandich, Royce Metchie, Dotun Aketepe, Tristan Doughlin, Nick Parisotto, Bryan Dunjko, Sebastian Howard

Written By: David DiCenzo