From AUS champion to East-West Bowl: Bishop’s Camara’s rise continues
When the Bishop’s Gaiters captured their first-ever AUS football title in 2024, it marked a historic moment for the program. For defensive back Cherif Camara, it was more than a championship — it was a moment of affirmation, resilience, and pride.
“That was a great feeling,” said Camara.
“To be the first team since, like 1990-something, to win any kind of bowl, and to come there and make history again, that was a great thing.”
The win didn’t come easy. In a roller coaster of a Loney Bowl final, Bishop’s edged out Saint Mary’s in triple overtime after a game-changing forced fumble and recovery.
Originally from Senegal, Camara’s journey to Canadian university football didn’t follow a typical path. He discovered the sport at age 13 after moving to Canada, sitting on the sidelines watching his first game with awe.
I was really, really amazed by the sport,” he said.
“And Coach Erick Loignon [high school coach at École Internationale Du Phare] approached me and was like, ‘I can teach you.’”
Growing up, Camara was an active child, playing both soccer and football in high school before choosing to focus on football during the pandemic. The decision was made in consultation with his parents, who have remained his biggest supporters.
“They come to watch every game I play at home, and they watch me on TV when I play away,” he said.
“My mom learned the rules, how the game worked. But I know my dad, he didn’t have any clue. But they are always there.”
Unfortunately, Camara broke his finger early in a playoff game. Initially ruled out, he worked with the team’s therapy staff to recover in time for the semifinal.
“The doctor came to the locker room and he was like, ‘You need to go tomorrow to the hospital,’” said Camara.
“But three days before the semi final, Katrina [Katrina Lambert, Manager of Sports Medicine] told me, ‘'If we tape your finger, you can play the semi final,’ and I was happy.”
Camara’s return helped fuel the Gaiters' playoff run, culminating in their first Uteck Bowl appearance, a moment he cherishes not for personal accolades, but for what it meant to his team.
“The great accomplishment in my eyes is not me having a pick or me holding the Loney Bowl,” he said.
“It was just more seeing my teammates, seeing my coaches happy that we achieved something amazing.”
Off the field, Camara is equally focused. A neuroscience student at Bishop’s, he balances a demanding academic schedule with the rigours of football through strict discipline and time management.
“Discipline is a very important word for me. So it was like, ‘Yeah, I just need to be disciplined, very well organized.’”
That mindset carries over into his advice for younger athletes.
“Just believe in yourself,” he said.
“Listen to your coaches, because they want just your well being and do the work. Even if you have talent, the talent is not enough, so you need to put the work in.”
Camara’s poise and preparation earned him a spot in the 2025 East-West Bowl, where he represented the East alongside the country’s top U SPORTS players in front of CFL scouts.
“East-West is an event that brings together the best university players in the country,” said Camara.
“And knowing that you're gonna compete with them, that’s an amazing feeling, to be honest I have nothing to say except like I’m grateful.”