The football coach at Queen’s University says he’s thrilled to welcome graduating Cochrane Cobras quarterback Tae Gordon into the Golden Gaels fold.
“What’s obvious from the get-go is he’s an outstanding athlete,” longtime Gaels’ head coach Pat Sheahan said about Gordon this week. “He can throw the ball; he’s also got great presence and poise … What a fine young man he is, too.
“We thought he would be a great fit.”
Gordon signed his letter of intent to join the Queen’s Golden Gaels on Monday.
The Gaels are one of the oldest and most successful university teams in the country, first originating in 1883 and winning three back-to-back Grey Cups in the 1920s when post-secondary teams used to compete for the Canadian championship. The squad has since earned a handful of other provincial and national titles – including four Vanier Cups.
Sheahan also has a solid pedigree as a coach, honoured with the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (now know as U Sport) Frank Tindall Trophy as Coach of the Year. He saw Gordon play in the Football Canada Cup in Winnipeg in 2016 and sat down with the teen in person earlier this year in Calgary.
“I had a great meeting with him when I went out west to see him,” said the coach, adding the two bonded over their love of football and lacrosse. “We had an instant chemistry.”
“(I was) definitely a little bit nervous,” recalled Gordon of that meeting. “He ... made me feel really comfortable (and) made it clear that I had an amazing opportunity at Queen’s.”
Sheahan said the Gaels’ current starting quarterback Nate Hobbs is in his fourth year, which will give the Cochrane QB a chance to develops his skills as a rookie under a CFL prospect. “It’s a tremendous time for a player like (Gordon) to come in and learn the offense,” he said.
“Learning the playbook from a guy like that would be an absolute asset for me,” echoed Gordon.
