It’s the semi final game; winner advances to the World Junior Football Championship gold medal match-up. 16 seconds remaining, Team Canada is down by five.
Wearing the maple leaf, Alex Anthony gets his hands on a pass, breaks a series of tackles, and scores a 40-yard touchdown to win the game.
“That was definitely one of the best moments of my life,” described the sophomore Laurier receiver.
Accountable, hardworking…
“And I guess, poise,” laughed Anthony when asked to describe himself in three words.
But many would find three words restricting in describing someone who’s represented his province, his country, and even the world.
There are not many people who can say that they’ve actually played for ‘the world’. But the 2009-2010 Laurier Football Rookie of the Year, is one of them.
Anthony suited up for Team World alongside the top junior football players from across four different continents in January 2010 at the U-19 international event.
As well as representing Team Canada for football and Team British Columbia for baseball, Anthony has also competed at the provincial level in track and field.
“I always had this early love and passion for sports,” said Anthony. “And growing up in a small town just outside of Victoria, B.C. all we really had to do was play sports.”
The all-around athlete and academic was the top recruit in the country coming out of Mount Douglas S.S., and accepted a full athletic scholarship to play for the Golden Hawks in 2009.
Throughout his life, Anthony has been active in football, baseball, golf, track, and basketball. He was named the B.C. High School Athlete of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and as an honour role student, also earned the B.C High School Academic-Athlete of the Year, the Principle’s Shield (for academics and athletics), and the overall award for leadership in grade 12.
AA, as his friends call him, coached minor football for three years, and worked a paper route throughout high school.
“It had to be done before 6 a.m., and then I would walk 2 km to the bus stop, before riding an hour and a half to school,” he explained.
So what hasn’t this kinesiology and physical education major done?
Win a championship.
“My main goal is to win a championship,” confessed Anthony. “I’ve never really won one, and I want it … so bad.”
The Golden Hawks went 6-2 in 2009 before getting knocked out in the first round of play-offs. In his rookie year, Anthony had 21 receptions for a total of 333 receiving yards, and scored four touchdowns.
However, a shoulder injury in week seven of the season left Anthony on the sidelines.
“I think it was just because I was a little kid playing with grown men,” he said. “I was a little undersized.”
Coming back this season Anthony is bigger and stronger, having packed on 20 lbs.
“I’ve just been training real hard,” said Anthony, attributing his success to the team’s strength and conditioning program.
Finding an inspiration in NFL great Jerry Rice, Anthony comments on the similarities between the two, “[Rice] also came from a small town and was underestimated… now he’s the greatest football player of all time. I aspire to be like him and work as hard as he does because at the end of the day he’s always the hardest working guy on the field.”
