CALGARY – Erik Glavic, the newest member of the University of Calgary Dinos football team, was introduced to the Calgary media Thursday afternoon.
Glavic, the 2007 Hec Crighton Trophy winner as the most valuable player in Canadian Interuniversity Sport football, transferred to the Dinos last week from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, N.S. He arrived in Calgary on Tuesday and started classes at the University of Calgary this week.
The 22-year-old quarterback will decide between the economics program and the Haskayne School of Business for his major.
A native of Pickering, Ont., Glavic joined Saint Mary's in 2005 after being recruited by then-head coach Blake Nill. In 2007, his first year as starting quarterback, he led the Huskies to their first Atlantic title in three years while his offence led the nation in points (352) and yards (529.4/game). He was named the national MVP after finishing the season with 1843 passing yards while racking up an impressive 478 yards and five touchdowns along the ground.
The versatile pivot, who also played basketball at SMU, suffered a knee injury in the Uteck Bowl, a 14-2 win over Laval, and was forced to watch the 2007 Vanier Cup game from the sidelines.
After undergoing surgery to repair his torn left ACL in February 2008, Glavic was cleared to play in Week 3 of the 2008 season, starting the Huskies' Sept. 19 home game against Mount Allison. In less than one quarter, he had thrown for 25 yards and one touchdown before re-inuring the same knee. He did not step on the field again in the 2008 season.
“I wanted to make sure I was in the best situation for my continued development athletically and personally, and Calgary was the best fit for me,” said Glavic. “The staff at the Sports Medicine Centre is fantastic. It is a top-notch facility and one of the best in the country, and to have that on campus was one of the major factors in my decision. The Dinos alumni were also instrumental in showing me the professional possibilities that exist in Calgary.
“I have great memories of my time at Saint Mary's, and I wish that program all the best,” he went on. “But it was time for me to look for a new challenge. Coach Nill is building a great program here in Calgary, and I'm excited to be a part of it.”
Nill left Saint Mary's to become head coach at the University of Calgary prior to the 2006 season. The Dinos have posted steady improvement since then, returning to the playoffs in 2007 and winning the Hardy Cup in 2008, the school's 10th Canada West championship.
“The fact that Erik chose the University of Calgary over other options speaks volumes for the direction that our program has taken,” Nill said. “I'm looking forward to working with a young man who will provide the leadership that I think is critical for us to take the next step.”
Glavic visited the University of Calgary in early January, when staff at the Sports Medicine Centre ran a full battery of tests on his knee and presented him with a rehabilitation plan. He is expected to be available to the Dinos in time for 2009 fall camp, set to begin Aug. 22.
He redshirted with the Huskies in his first year (2005) and was not charged eligibility in 2008 because of the injury, so he will have three years of eligibility remaining with the Dinos.
Glavic's two older brothers have also made their mark on the football world: Marko is the all-time Patriot League leader in passing yards (9,189) and total offence (10,064) after quarterbacking Lafayette College in Easton, Penn., while Sasha played five years at the University of Windsor and is currently a linebacker with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
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