Jermaine Gabriel spent just one season with the Calgary Colts, but it was a dominating one that those associated with the junior football team won’t soon forget.
The Toronto native’s lone season with the city’s junior football squad brought him most valuable player honours in the Prairie Football Conference and all-Canadian status in the Canadian Junior Football League.
The defensive back hopes to parlay that into a professional football career. He is scheduled to attend the Canadian Football League’s regional draft combine in Edmonton on March 18 in the hopes of earning an invitation to the main combine in Toronto March 22-24.
“Hopefully things work out,” said Gabriel, who turned 23 on March 14 and has used up his junior eligibility.
“I’ve talked to a few teams so far and they seem interested and they want to see how I perform.”
Gabriel’s individual performance in 2012 included 28 tackles, four interceptions, two knockdowns, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He also returned kicks and punts and was dangerous at both.
“He was one of those guys you can just plug into your system and watch him go,” said Colts head coach and defensive coordinator John Stevens.
“The biggest challenge for him was getting back into shape. He came and lived and stayed in Calgary after spring camp (in May) and was able to plug himself into our off-season practices and off-season conditioning program for three months prior to our season. It really helped him.”
Gabriel came to Calgary after mulling over opportunities with several Canadian junior football team. He spent two years at Bishops University of Montreal before taking a year off and moving to Halifax, N.S,. to work with defensive backs coach Devin Murphy, who was recently hired as the defensive coordinator at the University of Ottawa.
“I believed that choosing Calgary would give me the best shot at pursuing my dreams of playing professional football,” Gabriel said.
“Calgary has great people on their coaching staff who have lots of experience. They have great facilities and great off-season conditioning program that actually helped me get into the shape I needed to perform during the season.”
Gabriel, other members of the Colts and some current CFL players work out at King Football in Calgary during the off-season.
“We’re really proud of his accomplishments so far and it appears he may have an opportunity to get drafted into the CFL,” Stevens said.
“We’ve done everything can to help him in terms of strength and conditioning programs and getting him employment and getting settled in Calgary. Now, the rest is up to him.”
The CFL draft will take place May 6. Fifty-two players will be chosen over eight rounds.
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