CALGARY – Growing up in Denmark, Viktor Rasmussen always wanted to play football. He just did not know where he would be achieving that goal.

Viktor is the first Danish-born player to play for the Dinos, but not the first player from a Scandinavian country to wear a Dinos uniform. Linebacker Doc Cassama, who played for the team in the mid-2010s, came from Sweden and earned all-star recognition.

Viktor is not the only individual with connections to the Danish American Football Federation (DAFF) in the Dinos football program. Head Coach Ryan Sheahan spent one season playing quarterback in the DAFF with the Esbjerg Hurricanes 20 years ago after completing his U SPORTS eligibility at Queen's University.

In 2019, Rasmussen's family split. His father moved to Russia. The rest of the family went on a vacation to the United States. While at a Greyhound bus depot in Texas, Viktor and his brother were throwing a football around and, as chance would have it, a coach of a football team showed them how to properly throw the football.

As a youth growing up in Denmark, Viktor was active in gymnastics, handball and competitive soccer, where he played goal for four years. He acknowledges gymnastics has benefited him on the football field as it helps with his balance and spatial awareness.

"I always wanted to pursue football," stated the personable six-foot-four Rasmussen, who played for his hometown Naestved Vikings for less than a year as well as the Danish U19 team before attending a preparatory school in Amarillo, Texas.

It was in preparatory school where Viktor got noticed despite not having started competitive football until he was 17 years old. Rasmussen was selected to compete in the All-American Blue-Grey Game for senior high school students in Tampa, Fla., for graduating high school players in early 2023, but was forced to miss the 2023 football season due to an upper-body injury. Because of his injury, teams did not offer Viktor enough scholarship funds to attend NCAA Division I or II, so he opted to come to Canada, connecting through Dinos linebackers coach Nathan Mollard. Mollard saw Viktor's tapes, but because of his international student status he could not afford to attend UCalgary; however, Mollard encouraged him to play junior football in the British Columbia Football Conference (BCFC).

Viktor spent two seasons (2024 and 2025) honing his skills as an offensive lineman in the BCFC with the Valley Huskers in Chilliwack, British Columbia, earning all-star recognition last year and second-team All-Canadian status.

Despite having some NCAA Division I and II offers, Viktor decided on attending the University of Calgary, where he is studying Open Studies, majoring in history, as they showed considerable interest in him from the beginning.

"I really enjoy Calgary as I like nature and the outdoors," states the 23-year-old Rasmussen, who enjoys fishing and the mountains when time permits. "School here is also good," stated Viktor, who speaks fluent English as well as Danish.

Sheahan has fond memories of his experience in Denmark, and Viktor personifies the Danish people.

"I absolutely loved my experience in Denmark. Finishing my playing career across the Atlantic was a bit of an adventure. The part that was most memorable was the Danish people. Recruiting and coaching Viktor reminds me of that every day. He is classy, hard-working and as tough as his countrymen," states Sheahan.

Viktor Rasmussen and Ryan Sheahan, a pair of Dinos with Danish football experience.

-UC-