New Blood
Stingers football fans can look to next season with optimism, as the team’s scouts have reinforced their defensive front seven with one of the country’s most highly-touted linebackers and two defensive linemen that bring both size and speed to the position.
Chris O’Kill Mullen, who played linebacker in Quebec’s vaunted AAA Cegep league, will suit up for the Stingers this fall. Concordia coach Gerry McGrath said the acquisition of Mullen was a major coup for the Stingers. He described the young Quebecer as “the best strong-side linebacker coming out of Quebec this year.”
Rounding off this year’s defensive recruits are Pierre-Nicholas Konan, Ryan Hobbs and Vince Nardone.
Konan, a former Montreal resident who played for the Ottawa Sooners in the junior ranks, is an imposing defensive tackle. His 6’3’’, 320-pound frame places him among Concordia’s biggest linemen and he could play a key role in the team’s run defense for years to come.
Hobbs hails from Brockville, Ont., and is already attending classes at Concordia. At 6’3’’ and 255 pounds, he has the size to out-grapple his blockers, but should also have the mobility to contain the outside run.
McGrath also announced the acquisition of former John Abbott Islander Vince Nardone, who he said was recruited to bolster the team’s pass defense.
On offense, the Stingers have acquired the services of highly regarded offensive lineman Kyle Crisp and versatile tailback John Funston. Last year, the 6’7’’, 280-pound Crisp was named to the all-star team in the Greater Toronto Area football league.
Crisp will likely use his size to open running lanes for slashing tailback John Funston this summer in training camp. Funston, a former quarterback, was the leading rusher and one of the top two scorers for Ashbury College in Ottawa. He is said to have excellent field vision and patience that allows him to avoid downfield tacklers.
This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 21, published February 1, 2011.
