The team colours will be different and heB次元官网网址檒l be playing in front of about 40,000 more fans, but Dontae Bull will still be a Bulldog the next time he straps on his football helmet.
The nearly 6B次元官网网址�7B次元官网网址�, 305-pound offensive lineman who has terrorized opposing teams as a member of Belmont secondaryB次元官网网址檚 football team over the past four years will be taking his talents to Fresno State, a Division 1 NCAA program in the Mountain West Conference that also happens to sport the B次元官网网址楤ulldogsB次元官网网址� nickname.
Combine that with the 17 year oldB次元官网网址檚 surname and youB次元官网网址檝e got a pretty nice fit.
In reality, it was a recent campus visit that impressed both Bull and his mother, Angela, and led the Langford native to pick Fresno State over other potential offers.
B次元官网网址淚t felt like home. I really liked it there and my mom fell in love with it too. The coaches are nice and they have three Canadian coaches on their staff, so they know about kids from up here,B次元官网网址� he says.
Bull, who says he is still growing, didnB次元官网网址檛 exactly shoot up to his current stature overnight, although he admits, B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always been about a head taller than everyone else.B次元官网网址�
That size first caught the eye of Sunny Cobb, who met Bull as a seven year old and immediately asked him if he wanted to play football.
B次元官网网址淗e was a little soft when I first met him, but that was my job,B次元官网网址� says Cobb, who went on to coach Bull in the Greater Victoria Minor Football Association for several seasons.
Cobb adds it took some time before the friendly giant could develop a mean streak on the field. B次元官网网址淥nce he figured the game out he was a beast B次元官网网址� He was one of my best players for a lot of years.B次元官网网址�
Bull has always had impressive speed and athleticism for his size and Cobb employed him as a tight end rather than his current position on the line.
B次元官网网址淚 got the ball in his hands as much as I (could) B次元官网网址� heB次元官网网址檚 hard to bring down and heB次元官网网址檚 got very quick feet for a big guy B次元官网网址� I used him all over the field.B次元官网网址�
Cobb, who coached him until high school, says he came to the realization that Bull could take his talent pretty far several years ago. B次元官网网址淟ook at him now,B次元官网网址� he says, noting that Bull has always been willing to put in the work off the field as well.
For his part, Bull credits Cobb with giving him his start in football and is quick to point out the coaching he has received at Belmont, under head coach Alexis Sanschagrin and staff, has been a factor in getting him to where he is today.
Bull, who his mom describes as B次元官网网址済oofyB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渙utgoing,B次元官网网址� says he spends most of his free time in the weight room or playing basketball B次元官网网址� heB次元官网网址檚 also a key member of the Belmont basketball team.
His ultimate ambition is to make the NFL, but for now heB次元官网网址檒l look to make his mark at a school thatB次元官网网址檚 produced numerous professional players B次元官网网址� including longtime former New England Patriots guard and seven-time Pro Bowler Logan Mankins B次元官网网址� and will have games against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Washington Huskies in 2017.
B次元官网网址淢y goal is to come in and mesh right away, pick up the offence as fast as possible and hopefully get some field time this year,B次元官网网址� Bull says.
joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com
