Jubenville commits to Guelph
Nick Jubenville’s football dream has come true.
The 18-year-old, Grade 12B student at Lakeshore Catholic has officially committed to attend the University of Guelph next season where he is expected to make a significant contribution as a linebacker.
“It’s awesome. It’s surreal,” the Dunnville native said after posing for pictures with family and members of the Lakeshore and Guelph coaching staffs. “I’m happy they made the trip down. To have that many guys come down, it’s definitely special.”
Jubenville fell in love with the university and always considered Guelph his top choice.
“There were a lot of things that kind of went into the decision, but I really like the family culture they have there, that was a big thing,” he said. “Obviously you have the eye candy — the jerseys and facilities are great, people who support — but really there’s just a family aspect of it. It’s like the school is built around the football team. Their athletes, they have a lot of support for it. The academic support was a big thing too.
“I did have a couple options. I narrowed it down to three at the end, but honestly, since Grade 10, I’ve wanted to go to Guelph. It was always Guelph, really, from the start.”
Joe Cappiello, Guelph’s recruiting coordinator and director of player personnel, said Jubenville is a perfect fit for the school.
“Looking across the province for the best players to come and contribute to our program, what is even more important for us is great people,” Cappiello said. “Meeting Nick, having him down for a visit, getting a chance to talk to his coaches, getting a chance to talk to his teammates, he was the type of quality young man that we knew would be a big addition to our program.”
Jubenville’s journey to Guelph was anything but a straight path.
Even as recently as last year, Jubenville wasn’t even sure he was going to play at the next level.
“I wasn’t even going to play football,” he said. “I was just going to go into the workforce, honestly. I was going to do an apprenticeship.”
A switch to linebacker from quarterback last summer while playing for the Niagara Spears was the catalyst to reignite his interest in continuing to play.
“It was my second game (with the Spears). It was that game that kind of flipped the switch where I remember saying in an interview (with BPSN), I’m going to go work next year and now I’m considering 12B. From there it just took off and I made the choice I was going to stay, which was the right choice in the end. It was an interesting process.”
Jubenville was thankful to Lakeshore coach Bernie Tessier and his staff for all they did for him throughout the process.
“All the coaches supported me at Lakeshore, they did everything for me. Honestly, I’m so honoured what they did because I feel like it was celebrity treatment sometimes. It was really special.”
Jubenville previously played junior hockey with his hometown Mudcats at the junior C level but is putting his skates away to concentrate on football full time.
“I’m really just doing a lot of training, I’m working really hard,” he said. “I’m still considering summer ball. So really just looking to get faster, looking to put on some weight, eat right, recovering, hydrotherapy, stretching.”
Cappiello feels Jubenville has all the tools and work ethic to make a contribution right off the bat.
“He has great size, great speed to come in and have the opportunity and contribute early for us,” he said. “A couple of linebackers have graduated and some spots open where he can come and compete and have that opportunity to contribute.”
Guelph recruiter John Casasanta also has high hopes for Jubenville.
“We are excited to recruit this very athletic, hardworking, and coachable linebacker from Lakeshore Catholic,” he said. “His impressive physical abilities combined with his strong work ethic make him a standout player. We value his coachability, as it shows his willingness to learn and adapt, which is essential for growth in our program. His experience in a smaller school environment has shaped him into a resilient and determined athlete, ready to take on new challenges. We believe he will bring a unique perspective and a strong competitive spirit to our team, helping us achieve our goals.”
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