Fifth-year reflection

The game was within reach. The Guelph Gryphons knew their season was on the line entering the fourth quarter of the OUA semi-final against the McMaster Marauders on an overcast day in Hamilton early in November. With Mac up 19-7, the new-look Gryphons needed a rally to keep the dream of an OUA championship alive.

But for six players, there was more at stake than continuing a playoff run. Defensive back Akeem Knowles, quarterback Theo Landers, offensive lineman Eric Starczala, defensive lineman Greg Corfield, wide receiver Kade Belyk, and linebacker Job Reinhart were well aware what a loss that day would mean. There would be no chance at redemption the following season for the team’s group of fifth-year players.

The rally never materialized and Guelph closed the book on a promising 2019. For those six players, the emotion was overwhelming.

“It was hard to grasp that my career as a Gryphon was officially over after the Mac game,” says Landers, one of the catalysts for the program the past couple seasons. “I wanted to focus my attention on my teammates, who worked so hard to get us to that point and thank them for all they have done for the program and me personally.”

“It was emotional, the end of an era,” says Corfield, who endured a personal battle in his final season after the death of his mother Mary Beth. “The hard part is that playing these five years wasn’t just about football, it was about friendships. These guys are like brothers to me and that will be there forever.”

Fifth-year players have such an important role on university teams. Their leadership and wealth of experience gained from the previous four years of hard work can inspire and enlighten their younger teammates. They were all there at one point and understand what it’s like to enter a program as boys before walking out as men.

These six Gryphons have had the privilege of being part of something unique.

“Joining the team at 17, I was timid and cautious, always wanting to do the right thing,” says Belyk, the native of Regina, SK, who feels the opportunity to meet new people from all over the country has had an incredible influence on his life. “Guelph has allowed me to mature, and now that I’m 22, I feel confident in anything I do moving forward.”

Landers says that the biggest difference between his rookie season and this one is the work ethic he has developed that applies to both on and off the field.

“I thought I knew how to study and train coming into university but now in my fifth year, I can definitely say I am proud of how I have progressed as both a student and athlete,” he says. “Being a student-athlete has helped sharpen my ability to stay organized and manage time better.”

Belyk says that despite not accomplishing the goal of winning the Yates Cup, he felt pride that the team found a new identity, suggesting that the future is bright for the program he leaves behind. And there was plenty to feel good about regarding the team’s accomplishments over this group’s five years.

Making it to two Yates Cups, and winning at Western in 2015, has defined an impressive stretch. Corfield was a rookie on the championship team. He dressed for a couple games in the regular season and then got the call for snaps in the playoffs when some of the regular defensive tackles went down with injuries, including the dramatic victory that brought them the cup.

“I couldn’t wait for that,” says Corfield, who credits football for allowing him to attend university in the first place. “As much as I was a part of that team, I was still an outsider looking in that first year.

“To be able to grow with guys from my class, you really build a bond. That’s what it’s all about.”

Corfield, like his fellow fifth-year players, has matured since that exciting rookie season. He has learned on the field but more importantly, he has internalized the lessons taught to him from coaches, professors, and mentors. With his Gryphon Football career ending, it’s time to apply those lessons.

Corfield takes comfort in knowing that the teammates who became brothers will be with him going forward.

“I’m a competitive guy,” he says. “I love to win. But those relationships are the important part. They will be a constant.”

“The relationships I have built with people here at Guelph have greatly impacted me as a young man and taught my lifelong lesson that help me grow as person,” adds Landers, who is eager to keep in close contact with his fellow Gryphons.

There will undoubtedly be stories to tell, like Landers throwing a 59-yard bomb to Thomas Bresciani  in the dying seconds of the 2018 OUA semi-final against Ottawa that sent the Gryphons to the Yates Cup. Or the historic win on that November afternoon in 2015 when Guelph’s D stood tall to deny the driving Mustangs and earn the school’s fourth title in 21 years.

The memories are special and a reminder of how fast the best times in your life can pass by.

“The fifth-year guys will always be my brothers,” says Belyk. “I have gone through the most with them and I know we will all stay in contact and update each other on where we are in our future.”

Landers feels fortunate to have spent his university career at Guelph. He mentions the state-of-the-art facilities, the great fan base, and the support the program receives from the university. The departing quarterback also leaves with a degree (with a minor) and the knowledge that he became a man on the U of G campus, surrounded by his friends for life.

“The most special thing about being a player on the Gryphons was the brotherhood,” he says. “Making memories with them is what I truly will cherish.”

Written By: david dicenzo