Top 10 OUA quarterbacks of the last 10 years

Source: OUA Communication http://oua.ca/about/news/index.html?article_id=11437#

Note: Top 10 quarterbacks of the last 10 years was launched on September 9, 2011. The list was compliled prior to the 2011 OUA football season, based on statistics, awards, impact on their team and the league, championships, and fan voting. The final list was written and compiled by Bryan Crawford, OUA Sport Programming Coordinator and formerToronto Argonaut (2005-2011).

Canadian football has always been a brand of the game that has relied heavily on the quarterback. With three downs and a bigger field, a strong passing game is essential to the success of any offence. As the game has grown and developed over the years so too has the complexities of offence, specifically the quarterback position. The simple objective of moving the ball from one end of the field to the other is more detailed and strategic than it has ever been. As a result, the importance of the quarterback has been amplified as more and more responsibility for moving the ball is placed in their hands. 

The level of play by quarterbacks in OUA has certainly mirrored the development of the game itself. As a result, the last ten years of quarterback play may have been the best of all-time in OUA. Sure, the likes of Feraday, Kubas and Goldie set the standard and laid the foundation, but never during one era have so many quarterbacks been as good as throughout the last ten years. A look through the OUA record books reveal the changing nature of the game, the development of offensive systems that place greater emphasis on passing and the dominance with which the post-millennial signal callers played the position. 

With so many great players lining up behind centre over the last decade, determining who should make the list and in what order is a difficult task. Statistics and records are the first and most defining factor for where a player should be ranked, but simple numbers are not the only important indicators to consider. Awards bestowed, championships won, the overall impact that these players had on their respective teams and OUA football and fan voting were all weighed in the creation of this list.

No. 10 Adam Archibald
McMaster Marauders
2003-2007

McMaster University’s second all-time career passing leader was a unique physical specimen. At 6-5 and 230lbs, Archibald was a defensive lineman under centre. Prior to his arrival in Hamilton, OUA had never experienced a quarterback of his stature. His size and arm strength were unmatched in the league. Archibald completed two passes in his senior season that covered over 100 yards (108 yards vs. Guelph and 101 yards vs. Western in 2007). As a rookie he helped McMaster capture their fourth consecutive Yates Cup and he went on to become one of the league’s elite passers, proving this reputation with a 542-yard
performance against Guelph in 2007 (sixth most in OUA history).

No. 9 Chris Hessel
Western Mustangs
1998, 2001-2004

Hessel’s first visit to the London campus would only last one season, but his return after a two year hiatus would mark the beginning of an incredible offensive run for the Mustangs. Unfortunately for Hessel, his accomplishments were slightly overshadowed at the time by his Queen’s counterpart, Tom Denison, but the two standouts sparked what would be the first of two unbelievable rivalries between Western and Queen’s quarterbacks.

Three of Hessel’s five single season yards passing totals are on the OUA all-time list, including 2002 when he passed for 2,806 yards (a new OUA record at the time). Today his 2002 total remains the fourth most yards passing in a single season. His career total of 8,647 yards passing is sixth on the OUA all-time list. Even more impressive than his yardage is the number of times he found the end zone. His seven touchdown passes in a single game (2002) became the most of any OUA quarterback in history (second in CIS). By the end of his career he would connect for 62 majors, a 5th all-time record. Hessel earned second team OUA all-star honours for three consecutive seasons (2002-2004).

No. 8 Justin Dunk
Guelph Gryphons
2005-2009

One of three outstanding quarterbacks to enter the OUA in 2005, Dunk dazzled crowds with his athleticism while at the helm for the Gryphons. The most athletic of the trifecta of terrific 2005 rookie quarterbacks, Dunk is possibly the most gifted scrambler of the entire list, amassing 1,006 career rushing yards. However, not to sell him short, Dunk also posted some of the best OUA career passing numbers. He sits fifth all-time in yards passing in a career (9,530-yards amassed), fourth all-time in career completions (614), fourth all-time in career touchdown passes (63) and is third all-time in passes attempted in a career (1,120).

Impressive as his career numbers may be, what elevates Dunk’s standing is his impact on the University of Guelph football program. When he enrolled at the University of Guelph, the glory days of the 1990’s were long gone and it had been nearly ten seasons since their last Yates Cup. Although he was never able to hoist the Yates (losing to Western in 2008), Dunk was the driving force behind the Gryphons returning to relevance in OUA football.

No. 7 Brad Sinopoli
Ottawa Gee-Gees
2007-2010

If quarterbacks were built in factories, Brad Sinopoli would be the template. Big and tall at 6-4 and 210lbs, great arm strength, top notch decision making and his outstanding mobility earn him a spot on this list. Unfortunately for OUA fans, Sinopoli spent two seasons backing up one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the University of Ottawa (see No. 6) and wouldn’t complete his eligibility. With more playing time it is likely that he would have been much higher on this list. Sinopoli stepped out of the shadows of his predecessor and became the leader of the Gee-Gees in 2009. However it was in 2010 when he left his own mark on the game. Sinopoli grabbed the attention of the nation on his way toward being named a first team OUA all-star, first team all-Canadian and Hec Crighton Trophy winner.

During the season Sinopoli completed the fourth most passes in an OUA season (184), the fourth most touchdown passes in an OUA season (22), passed for an Ottawa record with the most yards in a season (2,756) which was good for fifth in the OUA and made the fifth most pass attempts in an OUA season (301). On top of these wild numbers he also added 534 yards along the ground. His play attracted the attention of the Calgary Stampeders and he went on to be drafted in the fourth round of the 2011 CFL draft. He made the team’s active roster at quarterback and in doing so, broke a barrier that formally faced all Canadian quarterbacks.

No. 6 Josh Sacobie
Ottawa Gee-Gees
2004-2008

Seventy-nine touchdown passes sets this Gee-Gee apart. As OUA’s all-time leader in career touchdown passes (second CIS), Sacobie led Ottawa to three consecutive appearances in the Yates Cup (2006-2008), taking it home in 2006 to keep beside his Dalt White Game MVP Trophy. Sacobie remains among OUA leaders in three other career statistical categories. He sits third in career completions with 637 (fourth CIS), fourth in yards passing with 9,885 (fifth CIS), and fourth in passes attempted with 1,111. Sacobie was a two-time first team OUA all-star and CIS second team all-Canadian in 2006 and 2007.

No. 5 Ryan Pyear
Laurier Golden Hawks
2001-2005

Although you won’t see his name atop the all-time statistical leader boards like some of the other quarterbacks on this list, Ryan Pyear did one thing especially well...win. Taking over the reins of a young team, the Golden Hawks appeared in three consecutive Yates Cup finals. Laurier accomplished back to back Yates wins in 2004 and 2005, and went on to win the Vanier Cup in 2005, the first for an OUA team since Western captured the crown in 1994. This athletic quarterback was known for his ability to run and scramble when plays broke down. Pyear was notorious for being smart with the football. He sits fourth all-time in OUA play in single season completion percentage (66.7%) and fifth in career touchdown passes (62). A first team OUA all-star and first team all-Canadian in 2005 and a second team OUA all-star and all-Canadian in 2004, Pyear also boasts the 2005 Ted Morris Memorial Trophy (Vanier Cup MVP) among his honours.

No. 4 Ben Chapdelaine
McMaster Marauders
1997-2001

An outstanding career highlighted by back to back Yates Cup championships was capped off when Ben Chapdelaine was named the 2001 Hec Crighton Trophy winner. Bursting onto the OUA scene in 1997 as the recipient of the Norm Marshall Trophy (OUA Rookie of the Year), Chapdelaine racked up 9,974 yards passing during his career (third all-time in OUA history, fourth CIS). He sits fifth in OUA career completions (609) and career passes attempted (1,107). He was twice named an OUA first team all-star and first team all-Canadian in his junior and senior seasons. McMaster was lucky to have him as Chapdelaine was a central figure in shifting the balance of power in Ontario university football. In 1997 McMaster’s football program was one of the worst in the country, coming off a winless season the year prior and failing to post a winning record in over a decade. By the time Chapdelaine graduated he had sent the program on its way toward four consecutive Yates Cup Championships and locking the Marauders in a role as a conference powerhouse.

No. 3 Tom Denison
Queen’s Golden Gaels
2001-2003

Tom Denison, the 2002 and 2003 Hec Crighton Trophy winner, was the central figure in the revival of Queen’s football program. Not only did his play return a once proud program to the national scene, but not since Greg Varva and the early 80’s Calgary Dinos had Canadian university football seen pass oriented offence like that of the Queen’s squad. In 2002, Denison became the first Canadian university quarterback to pass for more than 3000 yards in a single season. His 3,001 yards in 2002 and 2,907 yards in 2003 remain the second and third most passing yards in a single CIS season. He also sits second and third in the books for passes attempted in a season with 312 in 2002 and 313 in 2003. Denison is first and fourth all-time in the OUA for touchdown passes in a season, with 24 in 2003 and 22 in 2002, he has the most completions in an OUA season with 203 in 2003 (second in CIS) and he recorded the most yards passing in a single OUA game on November 2, 2002 vs. Western in the OUA semifinal with 561 yards (second in CIS). Despite only playing three seasons, Denison sits eighth on the OUA career passing list. Had the two-time first team OUA all-star and first team all-Canadian been able to play more than three seasons, he could very well have left the OUA with every passing record in the game.

The Final Two

The final two quarterbacks on this list will forever be linked to one another. Both entered the OUA in 2005 and forged a five season duel to become the greatest statistical passer in the history of Canadian university football. Today they occupy either the first or second spot in nearly every OUA statistical category; including both breaking the CIS record for career passing yards, finishing a mere 97 yards apart. In the end it’s a toss-up between the two for the top spot, as one walked away having won the statistics race, while the other took home the ultimate Canadian university football prize. Whichever way you look at it, both were outstanding quarterbacks who together raised the standard by which all future quarterback play in the OUA and CIS will be judged.

No. 2 Danny Brannagan
Queen’s Gaels
2005-2009

This true pocket passer was the epitome of calm. Despite big shoes to fill and heightened expectations for the program when he arrived, Dan Brannagan stood in the pocket and delivered a Vanier Cup. Kicking off his career as the 2006 Norm Marshall Trophy Winner (OUA Rookie of the Year), the always calm, cool and collected Brannagan would go on to be named a first team OUA all-star and second team all-Canadian in 2008, the 2009 Dalt White Trophy (Yates Cup MVP) and Ted Morris Memorial Trophy recipient (Vanier Cup MVP). In addition to the hardware, Brannagan posted an undefeated season in 2008. He would graduate from the OUA second in a number of all-time categories including; career passing yards with 10,714 (second CIS), career completions with 667 (fourth CIS), passes attempted in a career with 1,211 (third CIS), and career touchdown passes with 77 (third CIS). He is also tied for the most touchdown passes in an OUA season with 24 in the 2008 campaign.

No. 1 Michael Faulds
Western Mustangs
2005-2009

Statistically the best Canadian university quarterback in history, Faulds set CIS records for the most yards passing in a season with 3,033 in 2009 and the most yards passing in a career with 10,811. His 761 career completions top the OUA all-time list (second CIS), and his 2009 total of 201 completions is the second most ever in an OUA season (third CIS). No other OUA quarterback has attempted more passes in a career than his 1,241 (second CIS) and his 66.9 completion percentage in 2005 is the third highest ever by an OUA quarterback.

Above all the statistical milestones he set, Faulds also accumulated back to back Yates Cup championships in 2007 and 2008, back to back Dalt White trophies, OUA MVP in 2009, and OUA first team quarterback in 2009 on his way to becoming the greatest OUA quarterback of the last ten years.

“It is quite the honour being named the top OUA quarterback over the last decade,” said Faulds. “There have been some great QB's in this conference and we all have a mutual respect for what we have all accomplished on the field. Some of the best OUA games ever played were because of the high level of play at the QB position.”

Michael Faulds offensive football talents remain in OUA football, but now under the realm of coaching. Faulds serves as offensive coordinator for the York Lions, a position he has held since July 2010.

“My experience at Western was unbelievable. I was coached by some of the best coaches (Greg Marshall and Larry Haylor) and had a chance to play with some great teammates. They are all a big part of me having success. What I learned on and off the field at Western have helped my transition into coaching at York.”

Faulds continues to play the game and this past summer represented Canada as the starting quarterback for the senior men’s national team at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Senior Men’s World Championship in Austria, where he led the team to a silver medal and was named to the tournament’s second all-star team.

“The OUA is a great football conference and I knew that after I was finished playing, that I wanted to stay and coach within the league.”

-OUA-