A Canadian quarterback has not started a CFL game since 1996 and now Brad Sinopoli, Peterborough, Ont., could have the chance to end that streak. Sinopoli was selected 29th overall by the Calgary Stampeders this past Sunday in the 2011 CFL Draft. Expectations that Sinopoli would be drafted were quite high heading into Sunday, especially after his impressive showing at the 2011 CFL Evaluation camp back in March of this year.
Following the news, Brad was a man of few words. "It's exciting! I mean, it's a dream come true for me and my family. Calgary is a great city, a great football town, and I'm very happy to be going there," said Sinopoli.
Gee-Gees head coach Jean-Philippe Asselin was very happy for this star quarterback when he heard the news. While this now raises the prospect of him perhaps not returning next season as a Gee-Gee, Asselin dismissed the notion. "This is all part of the game," explained coach Asselin. "People come and people go. But this is also part of a bigger picture, and part of the goal for our athletes to make it to the next level. So if that can happen for Brad this year that would be great, he deserves it for sure."
Asselin also spoke of what it means for the Gee-Gees football program anytime a player gets drafted to the CFL, and believes it speaks volumes of that they have been able to accomplish offensively here at the University of Ottawa. "Our offense has been top five in the country in yards every year for the last six years. We've done something special with our offense here, and have developed some really good quarterbacks over the years. So it definitely shows we are doing something right," added Asselin.
Gee-Gees assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Cory McDiarmid, who has nine years of CFL coaching experience, also offered his take on Brad being drafted. "First of all it's great he was drafted, and it's great that the CFL is now looking at Canadian universities and Canadian university quarterbacks. For (Brad), he has the tools and has to just keep working his craft. There's a very good for chance for him to come in and work hard and hopefully stick with (Calgary)," said McDiarmid.
This truly caps off an amazing year for Sinopoli, who only in his second year as starting quarterback for the Gee-Gees led the country in passing yards, touchdowns, attempts and completions this past season on route to winning the Hec Crighton Trophee as the country's most outstanding university football player.
Sinopoli becomes the first uOttawa Gee-Gees quarterback in a decade to be drafted since Phil C�180téwas drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in 2001.
