skip navigation

Class Of 2017: Tom Schnitzler

By Ryan Watters (@ryan2tswatters), 04/01/18, 11:15PM PDT

Share

An All-Star defensive lineman for the Saskatoon Hilltops

Photo courtesy of Louis Christ Photography

He is a highly decorated defensive lineman winning four Canadian Bowl titles in his five CJFL seasons with the Saskatoon Hilltops.  Now Tom Schnitzler enters the CJFL Class of 2017.

This past regular season the Saskatoon native showed his athleticism putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks on almost every snap.  He tallied 10 tackles, had four assists, a sack, a pair of interceptions, two blocks, three knockdowns, forced a fumble and recovered one.

In his final Canadian Bowl he tallied four tackles, a sack, had a fumble recovery and even caught a touchdown pass from Jordan Walls.

Why play for the Hilltops in the first place? – “I was not highly recruited out of high school so I tried out for the Saskatoon Hilltops and the Regina Thunder. My brother Brad had played on the Thunder for two years, but he injured his knee and was unable to go back and play for his third year. Had he been healthy and still with the team, I may have joined the Thunder. I was very fortunate that coach Sargeant gave me the opportunity to join the Saskatoon Hilltops in 2013.”

Why did you stay with the Hilltops for all five years? – “During my time with the Hilltops I made many friendships. To this day, I met many of my best friends on the Hilltops. Coach Sargeant and the rest of the coaches did an incredible job creating a strong culture in the locker room. The Hilltop teams that I have been a part of have been the closest, tight knit group of players that I have been around on any sports team growing up. The team’s overall culture along with coach Sargeant’s belief in rewarding the senior players on the team made it very hard to leave.”

Now that you’ve graduated from the CJFL, what’s the biggest lesson you take away? – “I learned many things during my time with the Hilltops. The biggest lesson I learned was how to balance football, life, and education. Being a student-athlete was difficult for me in my first year of university. I learned how to organize my time so I could be successful on the field and in the classroom. I also learned a lot from my coaches, who made sure that every player was accountable, had humility, and respect.”

Each player goes through a lot during his CJFL career, how did you grow as a person? – “I joined the Hilltops as an immature 18-year-old. I quickly learned that nothing comes easy and I had to work for everything I got; from battling every practice to make the travelling roster as a special team’s player, to working hard in the offseason to earn a starting spot. Playing five years of junior football helped me grow up and shaped me into the person I am today.”

What’s your favourite moment of playing for the Hilltops? – “My most memorable moment came in the 2015 national championship game against the Okanagan Sun. With less than 20 seconds left in the half, we had to punt the ball on 3rd down in our own end. I was the long snapper and had not made a mistake all year. I sailed a snap over our punters head and the Sun recovered it for a touchdown to take the lead with less than 10 seconds to go in the half. I was devastated, thinking that play could end up being the game deciding score. When I got into the dressing room at half, I thought that I was going to get ripped apart by my teammates and coaches. Not one person had anything negative to say to me; instead I was met with a lot of positivity and encouragement. I will never forget that, as I went on to play my best half of football of the season on route to winning my second national championship.”

Knowing what you know now, would you change anything? – “I would not change a thing. I am very happy that I stayed for five years. “

What’s next for Tom Schnitzler?  - “I have committed to the UBC Thunderbirds to continue my football career and schooling. I am currently taking Education at the University of Saskatchewan, but Education does not transfer out of province, so I will be taking Kinesiology courses at UBC. I plan on eventually getting both my Education and Kinesiology degrees. I chose UBC because Coach Nill sold me on the chance to compete for a Vanier Cup with one of the most talented rosters in U-Sports. “

What will you miss most? – “I will miss being around my long time teammates and coaches every day during the football season. I am excited to make new friendships and continue a winning tradition with the UBC Thunderbirds.”

Saskatoon Hilltops linebacker Tom Schnitzler is part of the CJFL Class of 2017.