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Estevan's James Knibbs excited to play football in the NCAA

Youth football in Estevan is celebrating a first for its programs.
James Knibbs
Estevan youth football graduate James Knibbs has committed to play football for Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. Photo submitted

Youth football in Estevan is celebrating a first for its programs.

James Knibbs, who graduated from the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS) last month, has committed to play for the Simon Fraser University (SFU) Clan, a National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 2 program that plays in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Knibbs is the first athlete from Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football and the ECS Elecs football team to sign with an NCAA club.

The announcement was made Sunday night via Facebook.

Knibbs will study business at SFU, which is located in Burnaby, B.C.

The combination of the football program and the business program ultimately drew Knibbs to SFU.

“I really enjoyed everything about the school and especially the west coast,” said Knibbs. “I’ve been out there multiple times visiting my grandparents, and it’s a lovely place.”

He has been speaking with the coaches, and has enjoyed talking to them and learning about the team-first philosophy of the Clan. Knibbs also spoke with multiple Canadian junior and post-secondary football programs on both sides of the border.

One of the reasons he selected SFU is they are one of the few Canadian universities that plays in the NCAA.

“I don’t have to move down south, and with the dollar, that helps out a lot,” said Knibbs.

He expects he’ll spend the next couple of months learning the team’s systems and plays, and working on his speed and strength through a training program.

His grandparents live on the Washington State-Oregon border in the U.S., and that factored into his decision.

“Being pretty far away from home there, it will be pretty nice to have someone close,” said Knibbs.

As for pursuing a career in business, Knibbs said it has interested him for as long as he can remember.

“One of the driving factors in that is my dad. He’s really helped me along the way, and always supported my interests.”

Knibbs played nose tackle last season with the Elecs and defensive end with the Sask. Selects provincial program. He also has experience as a fullback and middle linebacker.

“Minor football and then high school football, and then going beyond that, with the two provincial teams that I played for, has helped tremendously with my game and learning beyond that. I started minor football when I was nine years old, and developed through the program since then, and just kept going with it.”

He has joined the Sask. Selects program the past four seasons for the Pigskin Classic in San Antonio, and then he also played with under-17 and under-18 teams.

“The calibre of coaching with that is just tremendous, and then you learn about the brotherhood and the development of skills on a whole another level there,” said Knibbs.

And he credited a coach from Yorkton, Jason Boyda, for his contributions to Knibbs development.

Knibbs stressed that minor and high school football have shown him how to react in everyday life. He has learned life skills and on-field skills, and he’s looking forward to playing at the next level.