CFL.ca Staff
WATERLOO, Ont. — Entering his fourth season with the Golden Hawks, receiver Shamawd Chambers of Markham, Ont., is poised to be one of the big stories in CIS football this season.
The 6-3, 210 lbs., wide out has put up impressive numbers in his first three years in the OUA, including his rookie campaign back in 2008 when he posted career highs in receptions (37), receiving yards (491) and touchdowns (5).
With over 1,300 total yards and 12 touchdowns to his name thus far during his career at Wilfrid Laurier, Chambers has demonstrated that he is well on his way to becoming a star in Canadian university football.
With the biggest season of his career ahead of him, his draft eligible year, Chambers showed during the off season that he is ready to make the jump to elite status in the CIS. At the 2011 East West Bowl, Chambers led all receivers with five receptions for 84 yards. He also recorded the lone receiving touchdown in the contest.
The two-time OUA All-Star was then named to Team Canada for the 2011 IFAF Senior World Championship in Austria. As one of only a handful of active CIS players to make the team, Chambers quickly established himself as a threat for Team Canada, pulling in five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown in Canada’s opening victory over France.
He would go on to finish the tournament with 20 receptions for 248 yards and two touchdowns, good enough to earn him First Team All-Tournament honours, as Canada earned a silver medal in their first-ever appearance at the world championship.
“His development on and off the field in the past year has been remarkable,” commented Laurier head coach Gary Jeffries. “Shamawd spent his first two and a half seasons in our program getting by on his massive talent but never really reaching out to attain his full potential. Midway through the 2010 season a ‘light went on’ and Shamawd has been a different individual ever since.”
The thought of Chambers just beginning to peak in terms of what he can bring to the Golden Hawks this season will surely make other coaches around the OUA and CIS stand up and take notice.
With Laurier poised to once again be a favourite in the OUA after narrowly bowing out in the semifinals a year ago, Chambers will be a target for opposing defences to build their game plans around. But Jeffries believes that he is ready to take on this role as the team’s go-to player.
“He had an outstanding second half of the season in 2010 and he has become an off-the-field leader for us this winter during our training program,” said Jeffries. “If he can continue to build upon his success from this summer, there may be no one in the league that can stop him.”
However, it is not just what Chambers is doing on and off the field that makes him successful, it is also his newfound desire to become the best all-around student-athlete that he can be.
“On top of all the success he has had, Shamawd has recognized the importance of his education,” said Jeffries. “He is now a very responsible and highly motivated student who is doing well in the classroom.”
With a future in professional football seemingly in his future, whether it is in the CFL or the NFL, Chambers will look to make the most of his remaining time at Laurier as he and the Golden Hawks aim to bring the Yates Cup back to the school in 2011 for the first time in six years.
Awards & honours: Two-time OUA Second Team All-Star
