U of C Dinos Football Team Signs Bennett Salmon

Local Strathmore High School football player, Bennett Salmon, has signed with the 2019 Vanier Cup winning U of C Dinos football team.

“My situation is a little bit unique because of my, you know, religious beliefs,” said Salmon. He’ll be joining the Dinos roster in 2024 as he will be undertaking a two-year mission in Canada before he starts playing with the team.

In the meantime, the 17-year-old has met with the coaching staff and players.

He explained that he was able to get a perspective on what it’s like to go to the U of C as his brother currently attends the school.

While there, he wants to study biochemistry with a second option of psychological kinesiology.

Salmon will be joining the Dinos roster as an offensive lineman.

About the Dinos, he says, “It’s hard to say anything bad about the program. They're so decorated. I'm very excited to be there and their program they have the best coaches.” Salmon explains that his interactions with the offensive coordinators new and retired have been excellent.

“And coach Harris, he's the head coach there. He's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet,” he said.

In 2019, the Dinos defeated Montreal at Quebec City to win the Vanier Cup, the post-secondary Canadian football championship, with a final score of 27-13.

Salmon’s family moved to Strathmore when he was in the fifth grade and that’s when he started football.

“Pretty much from that moment my parents asked me if I wanted to do it and I was like ‘sure why not?’ I started then and I've been playing ever since,” he said. He’s been a member of the Peewee Badgers and Bantam Badgers. After a successful run with the Bantam Badgers team, he played U16 football as a starter with Team Alberta

“That was a really great experience. We played in a Western Challenge against Team BC, Team Manitoba and Team Saskatchewan. We ended up with the bronze medal, which is awesome,” he said.

In addition, while playing in the football program with Strathmore High School he said the team came in third place within their league.

“I met lots of great guys, lots of great coaches,”  Grade 11 was a little slow for football after COVID-19 and an ankle injury.

But in Grade 12 the Spartans football team dominated in their league he said.

“I think we had a total of 4 touchdowns scored on us and when we just rolled through. We were a dominant force to reckon with,” he said. Finally Salmon just finished with the U18 Team Alberta where he was a starter and a captain on the team.

He says to young kids wanting to go further with football to keep going.

“I can definitely tell you that myself I've had those rough days. You go to practice and maybe it's not your best practice and everything kind of it feels like it's falling apart, but I'd say just keep going. There are so many doors that have been opened because of football in my life,” said Salmon.

“Do all the hard stuff. It sounds cliche, but you just got to keep going and something good will come out of it,” he said.

Salmon explained that football can be a great opportunity for the future in terms of job opportunities as well.

“Sometimes they look for those guys that have gone to post-secondary and play on sports teams for that teamwork aspect. So if I was talking to someone, I’d say just keep going. Stay disciplined."

"Self-discipline is the hardest thing you can do. It's not what you do on the field, it's what you do off the field. Sticking to that meal plan, hitting the gym, doing all that kind of stuff,” he said.

Some advice he says he’d give to teens wanting to go further in football is to stay connected with their families.

“My family's been very, very supportive of me. My mom, my dad, they've come to every single football thing I've done. They've encouraged me to keep to the plan. Keep going to the gym, keep doing the stuff with food to keep staying disciplined with running just outside. They're my biggest fans and I can't thank them enough."