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Third-year Commerce student and Football Mountie Chris Reid came to Canada from Jamaica in the sixth grade. He grew up excelling in soccer and track & field, but didn’t know much about football until his friends introduced him to the sport in Grade 8.

“They brought me to football tryouts and had to explain the game to me,” he says. “They told me to take the football, run, and try to get around the other players and not get hit.”

And it turns out, he came by it naturally. A 5’ 6” running back, he made the Ontario provincial team and was ranked third in the country at his position in his very first year of playing. Along with his quickness, he says his small stature helps him find holes others might not and to remain hidden longer from the defence.

Reid chose to continue his academic and football career at 69���˵�Ӱ�� because of the University’s academic strength, the family atmosphere he discovered when he visited campus, and the ability to be a contributor to the team at his position in his first year.

After a successful inaugural season with the Mounties, with the team winning the AUS championships and attending a national semi-final at McMaster, Reid spent most of his second season on the sidelines with a broken collarbone.

“In my position we take the most contact, mostly from guys a lot bigger than me,” he says. “So it has been really important to me to stay healthy this season and get regular treatment from the trainers.”

Reid, from Brampton, ON, was recently named Athlete of the Week, as one of the offensive forces behind 69���˵�Ӱ��’s 39-9 home win over Saint Mary’s. The Mounties secured a playoff berth for the 5th straight year. Reid finished the day with 162 yards on 32 carries and 1 touchdown.

After being in two AUS Championship games in his first two seasons with the team, he is looking forward to heading back to the finals this year. The Mounties defeated Acadia on Saturday, sending them to their fourth straight conference finals, and Reid was named the Subway Player of the Game with 209 yards, 34 carries, and a touchdown.

“I feel very lucky to have experienced so much success already while playing here,” he says. “Especially going undefeated in my first season with the team.”

Reid says his goal when he steps on the field is consistency. He wants to have at least 100 running yards a game and feels that if his running game is strong, it gives the team a better chance to win.

“I always want the ball,” he says. “I want to put the team on my back.”

Reid is currently looking at adding a Canadian studies focus to his degree and pursuing law school after graduation.