Simon Fraser University
With dark clouds of uncertainty swirling around their football careers, being named to the roster for the 2023 East-West Bowl has been a ray of sunshine for two Simon Fraser University athletes.
Gideone Kremler, a quarterback who also plays safety, and Sam Davenport, a wide receiver and punter, were both invited to participate in the U SPORTS prospects game, scheduled for May 13 at McMaster University’s Ron Joyce Field in Hamilton.
“I think it’s an incredible honour,” said Kremler, of Victoria, BC. “The legacy of the East-West Bowl is a tradition in Canadian football.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to make connections, meet people and expand your network of not just players and coaches but friends and opportunities.”
Davenport, from Abbotsford, BC, was left speechless when told of his selection.
“A lot of people don’t get this opportunity, so it’s really cool,” he said.
“I have friends from the east coast hitting me up saying this is a big deal. Kids are talking about it. It’s awesome, amazing.”
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Kremler will get some valuable exposure to CFL scouts at the East-West Bowl on May 13 in Hamilton (Simon Fraser University)
The East-West Bowl showcases – for the most part – players who will be eligible for the following year’s CFL Draft.
Besides being teammates at SFU, Kremler and Davenport are friends who live together.
“If we have to line up for one-on-ones that could be fun,” said Kremler. “He’s a pretty talented route runner. He’s got some really sticky hands so he might embarrass me and a couple other DBs while we’re down there.”
Neither player has followed a conventional path in their careers.
As a quarterback, the six-foot, 180-pound Kremler led his high school to a pair of provincial championships. He also underwent two ACL knee surgeries.
Kremler arrived at SFU still recovering from his second surgery and slotted at quarterback behind two starters. After losing a season due to COVID-19, he was anxious to play, so jumped at the chance when the defensive coordinator asked if he was interested in playing safety and special teams.
“I believe in myself at quarterback and know that’s where my true position lies, but I saw an opportunity to get on the field,” he said.
“I fell in love with football to hit people.”
In 2021 Kremler was named the team’s special teams player of the year. Last season he was tied for second on the team with 35 solo tackles in 10 games.
Kremler’s goal is to move back to quarterback this fall and he has been practicing with Davenport.
Kremler grew up a BC Lions fan and was thrilled to see the season Canadian-born quarterback Nathan Rourke had last year in the CFL.
“It says something about being intelligent, being quick, being able to make throws even if your arm isn’t the biggest on the field,” he said. “There’s a lot be said about knowing where to go with the football, when to go there, being able to extend plays and make plays at the simplest level.
“A guy like Nathan Rourke shows if you can do it exceptionally well in the CFL, then the big guys are coming to look.”
The six-foot-one, 185-pound Davenport was a walk-on at SFU as both a punter and wide receiver, positions he had played at high school.
“I wanted to play wide receiver but I know I’m really good at punting,” he said. “Being a smaller individual, I knew what I had to do to get where I wanted to go.”
In 18 games over the last two seasons Davenport has 47 catches for 667 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also made 75 punts, with a 36.3-yard average and the longest being 56 yards.
Davenport happily accepted his East-West Bowl invite as a receiver, after splitting his time with punting duties (Simon Fraser University)
He was thrilled to be included as a wide receiver for the East-West Bowl.
“I’ve always been thought about as the punter,” he said. “That’s why it was such a big deal for me to be selected as a wide receiver.”
The future of SFU football was thrown into doubt when university president Joy Johnson announced on April 4 the program would be discontinued.
SFU was supposed to play in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference this year. The NCAA conference decided to not renew its contract with the Canadian school for the 2024 season.
The school said it terminated the football program due to not having a league to play in after the 2023 season, and that it had exhausted all options.
That decision has drawn a sharp response.
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie wrote a letter of endorsement, saying cancelling the program would not only hurt the student athletes and coaches, but also “Canadian football as a whole.”
BC Lions owner Amar Doman said he will match donations to help save the program.
Kremler is one of five players who have filed a lawsuit against the school demanding it reinstate the program.
“We’ve got some really big names backing us and doing it publicly, which is huge,” said Kremler.
“I think there definitely is room for change.”
Davenport said the support the team has received makes him believe there will be football this fall.
“Watching and knowing that everyone has our back, it just shows how important SFU is to the community,” he said. “Our alumni make up a huge part of BC football.
“That’s why so much support is being poured into us. SFU football has touched Canadian and BC football in so many different ways.”
