Nyhof looks to break through in upcoming season

File photo by Heather Davidson
File photo by Heather Davidson

The Wilfrid Laurier University football team will have steady hands at the wide-out position this season, with fourth-year Greg Nyhof looking to bring consistency, strength and veteran leadership to an already potent Golden Hawk offense.

Last year, Nyhof was selected as a team captain. He hauled in 22 catches for 447 yards and four touchdowns in eight games. However, Nyhof attributes his success last season to the team giving him the opportunity to succeed.

“I thought regardless of our record, our team resolve was much better last season. Just being a part of this offense, even though we lost some close games, really enabled me to have a better season and to improve myself,” he said.

As a fourth-year player, Nyhof believes his role as a varsity athlete will change into more of a dominant role.

“That whole leadership role is definitely something that I’ve thought a lot about,” he said. “Right now I’ve got two seasons under my belt, and you get a little bit more confidence every year as they go on and that something I’m looking to take with me and hopefully instill in some of the younger guys coming in.”

Nyhof’s drive to help along young players stems largely from the veterans who were on the team when he came in to his first year at Laurier. Some of Laurier’s finest, including Alex Anthony, Rashad La Touche and Tommy Griffiths helped show him the ropes and inspired him, and that’s something Nyhof does not take for granted.

“They were extremely welcoming, and more than willing to help me learn the playbook and push me both mentally and physically in my first year, which is something I really appreciated and respected,” he said. “I wanted to play just as badly for those guys as I did for the coaches.”

Looking forward to this season, Nyhof’s focus in the summer has been on getting his body ready for Laurier’s fast paced, no-huddle offense. It is a system that was introduced last season, and reaches its maximum effectiveness when everyone is constantly in motion.

“I want to be able to keep up with that tempo, regardless of what it is. I want my first route and my last route to look exactly the same, for the entire game, whether it’s fresh legs or fourth-quarter legs,” Nyhof said.

Above everything, Nyhof understands that this is a team game, and knows doing his part can only help the team as whole.

“You just want to try and improve, both individually but also as a team, a little bit every season because you know if you step up your game, then hopefully the team will follow suit.”

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