Calgary Dino Liam Reid of Vernon, #52, making a tackle against a University of Alberta Golden Bear (photo courtesy of the Calgary Dinos/website)

By Liam Verster

U-Sports All-Canadian First Team

Local football players to play with the U-Sports All-Canadians First Team

Nov 22, 2024 | 12:07 PM

Players from Vernon and Kelowna will be joining the U-Sports All-Canadian football first team.

The University of Calgary said Liam Reid of Vernon, and Nate Beauchemin of Kelowna, were selected from the Calgary Dinos team to play in the All-Canadian first team by a committee of u-Sports football coaches.

Reid, 22, was named the Canada West Conference -all star defensive end in a unanimous vote, coming off the heals where he recorded 20 solo tackles, nine assisted tackles, four quarterback sacks, one forced fumble , and one fumble recovery in eight conference contests.

Reid, who attended and played football at Vernon Secondary School, joined the Dinos in 2020, and in 2021 earned a starting spot. The Dinos said he had since earned a reputation as a key figure in the defensive line.

The 6’3”, 240 lbs. Reid is in his fourth year in the Haskayne School of Business, and will be the first defensive lineman to be an all-Canadian since J-Min Pelly in 2019.

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“Being an all-Canadian means a lot. It was a personal goal I set at the beginning of the year. It is cool to be recognized at the National level,” Reid stated, adding he wants to pay tribute to former players who made it to the Canadian Football league after being starters on the 2019 National Championship team.

“Charlie Moore, Grant McDonald, and Josh Hyer showed me the effort it takes to get to where they got to when I was joined the program.”

Defense safety, Nate Beauchemin of Kelowna, was also named to the team after having a season where he lead the conference with four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

The Dinos added that Beauchemin, 21, was a force on special teams, racking up numerous tackles and blocking one field goal. He finished the season with 54 tackles, 28 of which were solo hits, and one forced fumble.

Beauchemin, the 6’2”, 200 lbs. fourth year Kinesiology student, was named the Canada West Defensive Player of the Year, and earned the President’s Award as U-Sports Defensive Player of the Year.

Beauchemin, who joined the Dinos in 2021 after graduating from Kelowna Secondary School, said he wanted to pay tribute to former University of Calgary safety Matt Luchysyn, who was his mentor and “showed me the way to play as a student of the game.”

The Dinos noted this will be the first time since 2015 that two University of Calgary defensive players had been selected to the All-Canadian First Team.