A Hunter has become a Lion — and that’s a good thing.
At lunch hour Monday, NDSS Golden Hawks linebacker Hunter Bannon sat before friends and family at the school’s People Place as he pulled on a crimson jersey and hat from York University and signed commitment papers to attend the Toronto school next fall.
Bannon, who started his gridiron career in the local OPP league in Grade 7 has mostly played defence through the years, save an occasional down as a tight end or wide receiver.
“I just like the feel of the game. You’re what’s stopping the offence from getting that touchdown. You’re out there to drop them on their butts, cause trouble, and make it harder to get what they want,” he said. “The adrenaline gets pumping through your veins, everything comes together and you just go and let loose.”
He’s done quite well at that. Bannon said the fire for football really started as a Grade 9 player at NDSS and it was honed the next summer when he lined up for the regional Limestone Grenadiers.
“That’s when I put my mind to work toward being where I am now,” he said.
Evidently, the work paid off. The York Lions’ scouting staff had discovered Bannon’s teammate and long-time friend Braden Hart through the Team Ontario program as he prepared for the Football Canada Cup. In watching video of Hart, however, they found another potential gem in the Hawks’ linebacking corps.
“We said ‘Who’s this long athlete who can actually play?’” recalled York recruiting co-ordinator Matthew Deans. “We saw him on film and he knows where to be. He actually flies to the football and he’s a guy who can play linebacker or (defensive back) for us, depending on what our needs are. We want to get bigger on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the defensive backfield, which is why Hunter fills a need for us right away.”
Deans said the Lions were also quite impressed with Bannon’s intelligence and academic standing.
The Lions’ focus on schooling was not lost on Bannon, who also was pursued by some schools on the east coast.
“Besides the fact that I get to play football, they help a lot with their student athletes. They do a lot to ensure they excel and continue to play football and make it through school. They put forward the fact it was school first and then you’re an athlete,” he said.
That’s an important consideration as Bannon has been accepted into the engineering program, which typically requires a higher level of hours than most disciplines, both in class and outside of it.
“The most important thing is that they graduate,” Deans said. “Football is fantastic and it’s a great avenue to get where you need to be, but even if you make it to the pros, that’s 5-10 years. When they turn 30, what happens then? It’s great to have degrees whenever football is over.”
Of course, Bannon doesn’t want that day to come any time soon. He said he and Hart have dreamed about playing university ball together for some time and, now, he hopes he can set his sights higher.
“Now, maybe our goal is to play together in the CFL.”
More immediately, he realizes there’s an opportunity to earn playing time on a rebuilding club.
“You’re not guaranteed a spot on any team. You’ve got to go and earn it. I go in August. Training camp is two weeks. I have those two weeks to show them who I am and what I’ve got.”
Deans believes he has a chance to see the field.
“We’re not a football team that plays politics. At the end of the day, the best players who give us the opportunity to win are the ones who are going to play,” he said, while acknowledging the Lions have a middle linebacker getting looks at the CFL combine and another at the position that was an OUA all-rookie last year.
“Our freshmen are expected to fill holes, if not on defence, then on special teams right away. In Canadian football that’s a big part of the game.”
Deans said in both Napanee recruits, the Lions believe they have found “cornerstone guys,” Hart for his “sheer talent” and Bannon for his “sheer tenacity.” He likes their character and their team-first attitude.
He also anticipated they might set a trend as York looks to find more prospects playing within the Kingston area high school loop.
“It’s a little bit of a hotbed that gets overlooked in our opinion. We’ve got two great players in Hunter and in Braden and we think that’s the beginning of us getting into the Kingston area a little bit more.”
After watching Hart sign in November, Bannon was eager to have his day too in front of his supporters and the coaches who helped shape his character along the way.
“To know I got up there to do the same thing in front of everyone was quite an experience — it’s overwhelming to think of all the support I’ve had through the years and see it in one place for one big last good-bye. It was nice.”