Niagara region has proven to be a foundation for the future of Gryphon football

Justin Dunk

The Niagara region, an area that attracts people to its worldly wonder, wax museums and wine culture, has also been catching the attention of the coaching staff of the Gryphons football team.

The area has developed into a recruiting hotbed for the football program, led by head coach Kyle Walters.
“When I took over as head coach, other than locally [in Guelph], we had no strong recruiting region,” said Walters. “There was no Guelph presence anywhere else [in Ontario].”

Since Walters took over the coaching duties in 2006, he has enjoyed considerable success in convincing student-athletes from the Niagara area to join his team.

“Most importantly, there is no hometown university [in Niagara] to compete against [for recruits],” he said. “It’s a huge region. From Grimsby all the way to Fort Erie, and everywhere in between, [there is] a drawing of about 30 schools. Obviously, if there are 30 schools, there is a likelihood of more high-end [players].”

The high-end talent from this area of Ontario is undoubtedly impressive, and fortunately for the Gryphons, they have been able to bring some of these gifted athletes to the Guelph campus.

Defensive backs James Savoie and Sebastian Howard, both from Niagara Falls, have been fixtures in the Gryphons starting lineup ever since they set foot in Alumni Stadium. Howard recorded six interceptions in his rookie year in 2007, while Savoie has become a two-time All-Canadian in just three seasons with the Gryphons.

Four other players from the region suited up for the Gryphons last year, with Jordan Duncan, Michael Millar, Nick Woehl, and Corey Davidson all having seen extensive playing time since joining Walters’ team.

But the player with the greatest impact from the Niagara region is wide receiver Jedd Gardner.

The third-year Gryphon is a game breaking talent and he has become known to fans for his speed and explosiveness.

Gardner believes that the Niagara region has produced talented football players in recent years because of a dedicated work ethic.

“The guys in Niagara work extremely hard, and set the example for the guys younger than them,” he said. “The younger guys try and keep pace and want to live up to what the guys before them have accomplished.”

Gardner has become a crucial part of the Gryphons offence and a lot of this is attributed to the work ethic he learned while growing up in Niagara Falls. The speedy wide receiver was tracked down by Walters and was interested in attending and playing football at the University of Guelph for several reasons.

“The main things that drew me to Guelph were coach Walters, the campus being all in the same location, and the opportunity to play [football] early in my career,” said Gardner.

Gardner earned a starting job late in his first season with the Gryphons. Now both Gardner and Walters are showing other potential players from the Niagara region the opportunities that Guelph can provide, from both an athletic and educational standpoint.

“The campus has a unique culture,” said Walters. “The number one reason [players] come to Guelph, regardless of where they are from, is the ‘feel’ of campus.”

The success of Gryphon football recruiting in the Niagara region has provided a wealth of talent for the current Gryphons roster, while also strengthening the recruiting foundation in the area for the future.

“Once there were some well-known, big-time football players in the Niagara community, Gryphon football [achieved] a level of respectability in the region,” said Walters, on the recruiting success stories. “McMaster University had the run of the Niagara region until four years ago when we stuck our nose in there and now we go toe-to-toe [with any school].”

Your anonymous comment may be printed in The Ontarion's print publication.