WINNIPEG, MB – Twelve young football players, spanning from Winnipeg to British Columbia, have committed to the Manitoba Bisons football team for the 2018 season.

The players include, offensive linemen Christian Krause, Tyson Thompson and Jeremy Williams while on defence, defensive backs Markos Bockru, Beck Fullerton, Manny Menegbo, Stephen Adamopoulous and Robbie Lowes plus linebacker Shaun Robinson and defensive linemen Samson Abbott, Chris Larsen and Collin Kornelson.

“We have had a strong recruiting class so far and happy to announce 12 more outstanding recruits for the 2018 season,” said Bison football head coach Brian Dobie, in his 22nd season at Manitoba. “These players come from the junior football league and Manitoba high school league and are some of the very best of that class from across the country. We are honoured that these accomplished young men have chosen the University of Manitoba to pursue their academic and athletic goals.”

Krause, 21, was part of the Bisons for two seasons (2014-15) and last played junior football with Westshore Rebels of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) in 2017.

• The Victoria, BC native was BCFC All-Star in 2016 and 2017 plus BCFC Outstanding Offensive Lineman
• The 6’6”, 305 lbs. offensive lineman was also 2016 CJFL All-Canadian and played in five regular season games and one playoff game with Manitoba in 2015

Thompson, 21, played junior football with Westshore Rebels of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) in 2016-17.

• The Squamish, BC native was BCFC All-Star in 2017
• The 6’5”, 290 lbs. offensive lineman was also 2016 Westshore Rebel team award for CJFL All Canadian and played in five regular season games and one playoff game with Manitoba in 2015

Williams, 22, played junior football with Okanagan Sun of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) for three seasons from 2015-17.

• The Winnipeg native also played with Oak Park in high school
• The 6’2”, 200 lbs. offensive lineman was also a red-shirt with the Bisons in the 2014 season

Bockru, 19, played high school football with Dakota Collegiate of the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) for three seasons from 2015-17.

• The Winnipeg native also red-shirted with University of Minnesota-Crookston in 2017
• The 6’1”, 175 lbs. defensive back was a WHSFL 2016 Conference All-Star in 2016 as he had nine tackles and five interceptions plus 3.5 special teams tackles and one blocked kick during his senior season

Fullerton, 22, with Okanagan Sun of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) for three seasons from 2015-17.

• The Victoria, BC native was BCFC All-Star in 2017
• The 6’2”, 215 lbs. defensive back had 26 total tackles, two interceptions with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2017; had 22 total tackles, six interceptions with four passes defended in 2016; had one fumble recovery with two passes defended in 2015

Menegbo, 23, played junior football with Westshore Rebels of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) in 2017 and Regina Thunder in the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) from 2014-16.

• The Regina native was PFC All-Star, PFC Outstanding Defensive Back and CJFL All-Canadian in 2015
• The 5’9”, 190 lbs. defensive back had six total tackles, one interception with three passes defended in 2017; had 17 total tackles with six passes defended in 2015; had 19 total tackles with 29 passes defended in 2014

Adamopoulous, 18, played high school football with St. Paul’s High School of the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) for three seasons from 2015-17.

• The Winnipeg native and 6’3”, 175 lbs. defensive back had six tackles in his senior season as part of 2017 WHSFL championship squad

Lowes, 21, played junior football with Westshore Rebels of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) in 2017 and Regina Thunder in the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) from 2015-17.

• The Regina, SK native played for both teams in 2017
• The 6’2”, 210 lbs. defensive back combined 29 total tackles, one interception with one pass defended in 2017; had 41 total tackles, one interception with two passes defended in 2015; had four total tackles with one block in 2015

Robinson, 21, played junior football with Okanagan Sun of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) in 2017 and Westshore Rebels (BCFC) in 2016.

• The Halifax, NS native and 6’1”, 230 lbs. linebacker had 18 total tackles, three sacks, one fumble recovery with one pass defended in 2017; had 15 total tackles, 0.5 sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 2016

Abbott, 21, played for Winnipeg Rifles in the Prairie Football Conference (PFC) in 2017.

• The Winnipeg native played high school football for St. Paul’s in WHSFL
• The 6’4”, 250 lbs. defensive lineman registered 31 total tackles with five sacks in eight regular season games and four total tackles and one sack in 2017 playoffs

Larson, 21, played for Westshore Rebels of the BC Football Conference (BCFC) in 2017.

• The Toronto native played for University of Guelph and Team Ontario before Westshore
• The 6’5”, 240 lbs. defensive lineman registered 27 total tackles with six sacks with three fumble recoveries (1 TD) plus one forced fumble and one pass defended in 2017

Kornelson, 18, played high school football with St. Paul’s High School of the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) for three seasons from 2015-17.

• The Winnipeg native and 6’3”, 250 lbs. defensive lineman had eight tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in his senior season as part of 2017 WHSFL championship squad
• He had two sacks in the 2017 WHSFL championship game

David Marshal, Manitoba Post with files from Chris Zuk of the University of Manitoba

Photo – gobisons.ca