Two varsity teams captured AUS titles this past fall: football, and men'scross-country. This is the first league win for the football team since 1996, and comes off the 2014 Presidential Task Force report in which the football program was deemed unsustainable.

In the excitement of the Uteck Bowl, the national semi-final game, though, it was easy to forget the struggles the team had faced. Head Coach Gary Waterman doesn't want us to forget, though: "This hasn't happened overnight. It's been a process."

He's spent the past few seasons adjusting the profile of incoming players, recruiting talented student-athletes who are community-minded and passionate about football. Within the program, the culture shift to which Coach Waterman refers can be traced by the details: the Unity Council. Hiring dynamic assistant coaches. Focusing on the academic mission of the athletes. Using the mantra "Hail and Health" to remind the players to latch onto something bigger than themselves.

"This university is rooted intradition," Waterman notes. "That means that we are accountable to something bigger than ourselves."The Unity Council, of which Co-Captain Hayden Peters, of Inverary, ON, is part, organizes team activities and charity events, and maintains discipline. This year, more than ever, Peters notes the importance of earning your spot. He credits Jim Daly's meticulous attention to detail as the driving force behind the players' recognition of the direct correlation between effort and result.

"There was nothing random," he reflects. "Every day, you had to prove your worth. The guys bought into that, and I'm proud of them."

Both Coach Waterman and Peters point, though, to the next task: "We've got to set our sights higher," Peters says. For him, that means a Vanier Cup; for Waterman, that also means academic success for all his players.

The team is deep into its winter training now, anchored by the senior captains who ensure that the team is keeping sight of the long-term goals. "In my first year," recalls Peters, "I was mentored by [then senior] Dylan Hollohan. This year, my job is to do the same for someone else."

Coach Waterman is confident that the team's commitment to one another, and to all-around excellence, will continue to pay dividends in future seasons.

Courtesy The Extraordinary - StFX Newsletter from the Office of the President - http://www.stfx.ca/news/view/20061/