Rookies Making Impact in the Secondary for Dinos

They are mature football players beyond their age. That is why they are playing so much as freshmen in the defensive secondary.

Rookies Joshua Quarles and Treshaun Abrahams-Webster are making their mark in the secondary in 2016 for the University of Calgary Dinos.

``Both Josh and Treshaun are doing a great job for us. They are mature beyond their years with fabulous football instincts,” veteran defensive secondary coach Marcello Rapini.

The 5’10” 185 lbs. Quarles has dressed and played in all three regular season games while Abrams-Webster has dressed and played in two of the team`s first three games being forced to miss the first game against UBC due to injury.

``What makes both players so good is that they are very coachable,` added Rapini who is thrilled to have the two freshman from High School ranks.

``The game at the university level is so much quicker, everyone here knows what they are doing,`` stated Quarles who was coached at Henry Wise Wood High School in Calgary by former Dino defensive back Cody Ehrmann. ``Another difference is the dedication to play book as compared to High School,” stated the first year Open Studies student.

Abrahams-Webster was recruited by numerous CIS schools choosing Calgary to move from Ontario.

``Everyone at this level is more dedicated. The game is faster, the players are a lot bigger, and there is more attention to detail,” states the 18 year old native of Pickering, Ontario.

``I am more than glad I came out here, Coach Rapini is a great coach and has taught me to compete,`` the 5’11” 195 lbs. Abrahams-Webster stated.

TWO DINOS SURVIVE FIRST ROUND OF NFL CUTS:

While the current football members of the Dinos will be opening their 2016 Canada West regular season in Winnipeg at Investors Group on Thursday evening, a pair of their last year’s teammates will be focusing on making National Football League rosters.
Defensive back Elie Bouka and receiver Rashaun Simonise have survived the initial cut down to 75 by National Football League clubs on Tuesday August 30 at 2 PM EST.
Bouka, who missed all of last year due to an Achilles injury was placed on injury reserve by the Arizona Cardinals. The 6’1”, 205 lbs Bouka has been hampered by a leg injury much of training camp and questionable for the Cardinals final pre-season game Thursday against the defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos at the University of Phoenix Stadium. Elie spent majority of the summer training with the Cardinals including attending mini-camp and getting treatment from the Cardinals’ medical personal for his Achilles injury. He missed the last two preseason games due to his hamstring injury but played initial preseason game against the Oakland Raiders.
The 6’5”, 200 lbs. Simonise spent three seasons with the Dinos earning all-Canadian status last year and signed a tryout a free agent tryout with the Bengals in July 2016. Simonise who caught a 47 yard pass in his initial preseason game is expected to dress for Bengals final preseason game Thursday evening at home against the Indianapolis Colts.
All National Football League teams will make their final cuts to the required 53 by September 3 and will name their 10 man practice roster the following day.

A SECOND GENERATION PENNER MAKING IMPACT FOR DINOS:

Another Penner from Kenora, Ontario will be in the lineup for the University of Calgary Dinos when they kick off their 2016 Canada West football season in Winnipeg against the University of Manitoba Bisons Thursday evening at Investors Group field.

Jackson Penner, son of the former Dinos linebacker Chris Penner will be the Dinos long snapper and see action on special teams.

Young Penner is well aware of his father’s impressive credentials with the Dinos that earned him Canada West middle linebacker all-star honors three times in his five career in which he started four seasons and saw action as a reserve as a pure freshman. His father, affectionately known as “Prime Time Penner,” because of ability to excel in big games was a member of Calgary’s Conference championship teams in 1992 and 1993. What is ironic is that Chris was coached by current University of Calgary Head Coach Wayne Harris, who was linebacker coach with the Dinos then.

“I am well aware of my father’s contribution to the program,” states the 6’, 190 lbs. Penner who like his father attended Beaver Brae Secondary in Kenora and was coached by Chris in High School where Chris is a teacher as well as football coach.

“I started snapping in High School with my father, who also long snapped and he taught me quite a bit,” stated Jackson.

“His (Jackson’s) long snapping ability gets him on the field. He throws a nice ball that is very accurate for a young player,” states defensive coordinator Tom Higgins.

An excellent student academically Jackson was approached by Western and Queens but left little doubt that Calgary was where he wanted to continue his football and academic aspirations.

“I am here (Calgary) because of the fine football program and the school,” stated Penner.