Reflections on the 1985 Vanier Cup

What is your fondest memory of your Vanier Cup win in 1985?

Winning the game, basically shutting them (Western Ontario) out except for the first drive. It was my last college game and a good way to end my college career with the guys I played with for four years.

What was the difference between winning in 1983 and winning again in 1985?

In 1983 the focus was on our offense with Greg Vavra, Tim Petros and our offensive unit.  We had such a prolific offensive attack, but this team was built on defense. Field conditions were poor so defense was so important in the 1985. 

The Dinosaurs were just 2-2 at the midway point of the 1985 season then went unbeaten the rest of the way outscoring their opponents in the playoffs by huge margins including the Freezer Bowl against Carleton Ravens in Calgary. What turned the season around?

We had a veteran team and were motivated after what happened in 1984 when we had such a great team coming up short at Guelph after winning in 1983. We wanted to go out on top as many of us were in our final year of school. Our conference was really tough that year. We went 6-2 but some of our wins were really close games.

Describe the feeling of winning two Vanier Cups in the span of three years?

Simply an awesome feeling with great friendships of the guys we had from 1983. In 1983 I was in my first year as a starter and only in my second year with the team. In 1985 I was a senior with experience.

After Western Ontario scored on their initial drive of the game, they never made it beyond your 45 yard line for the remainder of the game, how confident were you in your defence?

We knew we had a great defense with a solid front seven and great secondary. All the media attention was on them in the Ontario press. I believe, their quarterback Samways was the All-Canadian so we knew to be ready, and had confidence our defence would be able to stop them. We were not fazed at all after the first drive. We blocked the convert and took it from there. We had great experienced coaches such Peter Connellan and Rick Coleman and just reloaded. Darcy Kopp anchored our secondary and Wade Buteau was an awesome middle linebacker, both were experienced leaders and players.

What is your fondest memory of the trip home?

Having the Vanier Cup next me on the plane ride was awesome. Somehow I wound up with it and a picture of that was on the front page of the Calgary Herald.

How did winning the Vanier Cup affect your professional career in football and your career after football?

It had a great influence. I had the opportunity to go the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and was a final cut. Playing in big games definitely helped my experience in so many ways. I was fortunate to be on two Vanier Cup Championship teams and two Grey Cup Championship teams in football which is a total team sport.  

How do you remain in touch with the players that you played with on those two Championship teams?|

I look back at the bond of friendships I had made with the teammates. We are still friends with many of those guys. The bulk of our guys were local players and southern Alberta players. Our parents were close and we remain close after these years. We see other around town all the time and with myself coaching I see lots of the guys. A couple of their sons now play for us.

What are you doing now?

I am defensive line coach with the Dinos and work for a medical device company BSN that manufactures medical products. Football helped me get the job because of the creditability as a patient and one of the products we sold was casts. I took the career from there. Never come across any situation in business where the honesty you get from film with your peers, good or bad, makes you accountable. Kent was drafted first overall in the Canadian Football League Draft in 1986 and had tryout with Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League and was one of their last cuts. He also played in the prestigious East West Shrine game. He joined the Calgary Stampeders and later played for the BC Lions winning Grey Cups with both teams. He was CFL all-Canadian in 1990.