2 - of College Football Games

One of the top defensive players in
the nation in 2008, junior linebacker
John Surla is out to prove the Western
Mustangs were not a one-year wonder
in qualifying for the 2008 Desjardins
Vanier Cup.
The niagara Falls, Ont., native
said he is excited about the 2009
season and sacrificed his summer to
improving his physical fitness, all in
hopes of advancing to the 2009 Vanier
Cup and winning it.
“To get to the very
last game it’s a good
feeling,” Surla said
of his first Vanier
Cup experience.
“But when we
lost, I started to
think immediately
about the next season.
I definitely increased my
preparation work in the
offseason.”
And he got to work right
away, working with strength
and conditioning coach
Jeff Watson and selling tickets as a
summer job for Western Mustangs
football in the community.
Despite being a junior, Surla will be
one of the more experienced players
on the Mustangs defence in 2009 after
seven starters either graduated or
moved on.
“With what we have, we’re
pretty young, but we’ll be
alright,” Surla said. “We
have freshmen who have
have the chance to make
a big impact right away.
There will be mistakes
but once we get over
the little hump, we’ll be
good.”
Likely to be flanked by Conor Elliott
at the strong-side linebacker spot and
Adrian Kaiser at weak-side, Surla is
both excited and optimistic about the
Western defence in 2009 - despite the
loss of key players Vaughn Martin, Matt
Carapella, Andrew Bain, Jon Hood,
Corey Mcnair and Adam and Andrew
Hrytzak.
“People in the OUA and CIS will say
we are small, but we believe we are fast
by Andy Watson
and tought and physical. We have a
few big guys with Jerod McCrory who
tested well, he’s in the back up middle
linebacker spot right now.”
Surla also noted many other
freshman linebackers have stood out
in camp including Sean Blake, Marcus
Babic and Pavel Kruba.
“It’s a credit to our coaches. Mickey
(Donovan) has brought in some really
good kids,” Surla said.
“We’ve stepped up to the challenge
after losing Vaughn Martin,” Surla
said. “Losing Vaughn we miss a big
presence in the middle. But we have
Mike Van Praet who was very good as
a freshman and Chris Greaves who is
coming off an injury and played very
well last year for us on the (defensive)
line.”
While the climate continues to
remain hot with great recruiting
classes to surround him with other
talented players, Surla stands out.
The middle linebacker has steadily
improved statistically in his two
seasons with Western - he could easily
have been named the OUA’s defensive
player of the year in 2008, finishing
with 46 total tackles, 6th in OUA in
2008, and a league-high 6.5 sacks.
He improved on his 43 total tackles
from 2007’s freshman season which
put him 10th overall in the OUA.
“It’s been step by step for us,” Surla
said. “My first year we won the Yates
Cup and then last year we won the
Mitchell Bowl. And we experienced the
Vanier Cup.”
“Losing in the Vanier was a bit of a
disappointment but just to get there is
a good thing,” he added.“
Surla is confident that experience
will translate into a positive.
“We’re continuing to head in the
right direction.”. said Surla who
aspires to play in the CFL eventually
and is draft eligible in 2011.
“The Vanier Cup is my personal
goal,” Surla said. “I look at team-first
goals as my priority. Anything else that
comes along with that is a bonus, but
without the Vanier Cup is irrelevant.”
“This year, we want to win it all and
hoist that trophy.”
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