“Late starter still in the game”

Incoming Gee-Gee Chris Robitaille is profiled in this article from BCLocalNews.com.

Chris Robitaille didn’t grow up dreaming about playing college football.

In fact, the 19-year-old didn’t pursue the sport seriously until about four years ago.

But Robitaille was able to parlay his athleticism into success on the football field — playing quarterback, perhaps the hardest position — into the chance to play at the university level.

Robitaille leaves for Ottawa on Friday and this fall, he will look to crack the roster of the Gee-Gees’ football program.

“They started calling and were interested, so I sent some film and they wanted me,” Robitaille explained about the recruiting process.

“So I decided to go to Ottawa.”

Concordia University as well as a smaller school in Nebraska also expressed interest in Robitaille, but ultimately he chose to move to the nation’s capital.

“They are a strong team from what I have heard,” Robitaille said.

“It was important to go to a winning program.”

The Ottawa coaching staff has not seen Robitaille play in person, just some film of him from his time playing community football with the Langley Minor Football Association.

But they saw enough to be impressed.

“He looks like he has some great athleticism,” said Phil Roberts, one of the coaches on the Ottawa staff.

“We are excited about having him.

“There are four or five other kids from B.C. we have who have done quite well, so we are hoping we have another one who can help us win some football games.”

Dana Matheson, who coaches Robitaille last season at the midget level with Langley Minor Football, says Ottawa is getting a player with a great work ethic.

“Real loyal, real hard-working kid,” Matheson described, adding that he was a pleasure to coach. “And a pretty tough kid.

“Last year, he took every snap for us at quarterback and was battered pretty good. But he never shied away.”

Matheson said that while Robitaille may not be the biggest player on the field, he compensates with his work ethic and his compete level.

“He is a small, undersized kid, but he has a lot of heart and is tough,” the coach said.

Robitaille comes from a hockey background, following in his dad’s footsteps.

And while being on the ice may be his first passion, it became pretty clear that the gridiron was where opportunity would come.

Robitaille, who only played football recreationally until a few years ago, played defence his first season of organized ball with LMF.

He also played high school football at Lord Tweedsmuir and at H.D. Stafford, where he graduated in 2008.

But with his team needing a quarterback heading into the next season, Robitaille decided to give it a shot, spending the off-season working on his throwing motions.

That work paid off as he earned the starting job.

Robitaille says he is equally comfortable being a pocket passer as he is making moves on the run.

He is helped by the fact that as well as his athleticism, he possesses a good throwing arm which allows the offence to spread the field.

Chances are that Robitaille will likely line up as a receiver for Ottawa in the fall as the Gee-Gees are short on that position and this would be the fastest way onto the field.

“We want to find a place he can help us right away,” Roberts said.

“If it is quarterback, that is great, but the likelihood is that it will be at receiver at this level right away.

“We are excited about having him.”

Robitaille is just ready to get to work.

“I haven’t talked to the (Ottawa coaches) much yet,” he said.

“I just have to get in the gym, work out and get faster.”

The jump is big from community football to the university level, but Matheson feels if Robitaille does what he has in the past, that shouldn’t be a problem.

“He doesn’t get discouraged easy and he has a good spirit about him,” Matheson said.

He is definitely going to have his work cut out for him, but if he works hard and brings the same kind of passion that he did with us, he may have a chance.”