Feel the "Vern"

StFX football player takes on NFL showcase in Daytona, Florida

U Sport, previously labelled as CIS is frequently overshadowed by NCAA largely be-cause of the immediate entrance of their athletes to professional leagues. Challenging this sta-tus quo is St.FX football player Vernon Sainvil. Sainvil is an offensive lineman who has recently garnered the attention of NFL scouts.

The AUS superstar has been playing football for nine years and initially pursued it as an opportunity to prolong his postsecondary eduction. Sainvil hails from Malden, Massachusetts and previously grew up in Haiti then New York, acquiring support for his athletic endeavours from his family. The offensive lineman’s pursuit of a small liberal arts college on the east coast was thoughtful as he claimed, “I chose StFX because of the culture, small classes, and it has the nation’s most intelligent teachers.”

He went on to say, “StFX allowed me to get recognition around the map,” attributing the attention he has acquired largely to the folks behind the scenes.

The largest step in Sainvil’s career was his appearance at the 2017 Tropical Bowl game on January 15th. According to its website, “The Tropical Bowl showcases the top college foot-ball seniors to NFL scouts and GM’s who travel from around the country to the event.” Sainvill is the first Canadian-student player to be featured at this event. The X anomaly played on the “American” team alongside some of college football’s greatest talent including linebacker Sean Folliard of the University of Northern Illinois and Evan Schwan who plays defensive end for Penn State. According to Mike Jennings, Sainvil’s agent -initially reported by boston.com- the 6’6” athlete is already being approached by the Detroit Lions, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins.

This attention comes at no surprise for those who closely monitor AUS football and have relished in his success during his time in Nova Scotia obtaining the titles of: 2016 AUS outstand-ing lineman, three-time AUS offensive all-star and All-Canadian athlete for the past three sea-sons.

Acknowledging his nerves going into the showcase, Vernon went on to comment that they were “normal,” for any athlete at this level and that his training has prepped him accord-ingly. Making a big mark for a small school, Vernon Sainvil has taken the unbeaten road on his way to football dynasty and so far it appears to have paid off.

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