50TH VANIER CUP INTERVIEW SERIES: Brent Schneider, Saskatchewan (1996)

50^TH VANIER CUP INTERVIEW SERIES: 1996

A conversation with...

Brent Schneider, quarterback, University of Saskatchewan Huskies

In Vanier Cup XXXII, at Toronto’s SkyDome, the Saskatchewan Huskies scored 31 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the St. Francis Xavier X-Men 31-12 and capture the second national championship in program history. For many U of S players, the win erased some of the unpleasant memories from a heartbreaking overtime loss to Western Ontario in the 1994 CIAU final. One of those returnees was quarterback Brent Schneider, who had been named game MVP in a losing cause in 1994 and merited the honour again in 1996, making him only the second multiple winner of the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy.    

What is your major memory of the entire Vanier Cup week and the overall experience in 1996?

I remember trying to soak everything in. It was my third trip to the Vanier Cup, two as a player, and one as a non-participating Hec Crighton Trophy nominee. I had always dreamed of being part of the celebration and having the opportunity to win it. I really tried to enjoy the banquets and the practices. I knew it was going to be my last game week as a player. There was the extra motivation to win because it was my last university game and we had lost a heartbreaker in 1994.

I remember it snowed that week in Toronto and we had to practise outdoors at Lamport Stadium. One day, for sure, they didn’t clear the field. It didn’t deter us at all. I remember us just having a blast practising and getting ready to play the biggest game of our lives. We were a very loose but focused and determined bunch.

(Note: In the 1994 Vanier Cup, Western Ontario tied the game on a field goal with four seconds left in regulation en route to a 50-40 OT win over the Huskies. Schneider put up spectacular numbers despite the loss, setting Vanier Cup records with 528 passing yards, 67 attempts and 36 completions - now second on the all-time list - and tying the single-game mark with four touchdown passes. In the 1996 championship game, he was a “modest” 15-of-29 for 237 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions)

What is your one major lasting memory of the actual game?

There are several things that stick out to me. Joe Saul crumpled up in his stall before the game and at halftime because he was so sick, yet he went out and played an amazing game. And who can forget being down 12-0 at halftime. Steve Cornish’s emotional halftime talk stands out as well.

But I think the thing I remember the most was when, in the fourth quarter, Mike Stewart intercepted the ball and ran down our sideline all the way to the end zone to clinch the game. Often, when I think about the emotions and relief that went into the win, that memory stands out the most. It was at that point that we knew we had won the Cup. The celebration on the field and on the bench was something I will never forget. There were lots of hugs, smiles, and tears.

(Note: Saul, a defensive end, and Cornish, a linebacker, were both fifth-year seniors from Moose Jaw, Sask., playing in their final game with the Huskies. Stewart, a junior from Regina, made it 31-12 Saskatchewan with his 51-yard touchdown with 2:02 left on the clock)  

What do you remember as the key play of the game?

For me, it wasn’t really just one play but more a series of plays. We didn’t execute very well on offence during the first half but came out for the second half knowing that if we could score first and early, we would take the momentum back.

We received the kickoff to start the half and methodically moved the ball with a good mix of runs and passes to their six-yard line. I remember how good it felt being in the shadow of the Jumbotron at the one end of SkyDome. On first down, I threw a quick pass to my left to Jarret Rennie for our first points of the game. We grabbed a lot of the momentum back and rolled from there.

(Note: Still down 12-7 after three quarters, the Huskies exploded in the fourth with a field goal and three touchdowns, including two more TD passes from Schneider, a 63-yarder to David Murza and a 20-yard strike to Rennie)

What was your personal greatest play or moment?

There were lots of different plays and completed passes throughout the game that I remember. The one play that sticks out a lot for me was my last one. We were probably around the StFX 20-yard line. When I got the ball, I recognized man-to-man coverage and threw a high, long pass to the corner of the end zone to Jarret (Rennie) that dropped right into his hands. That play is especially memorable to me because it was my last one as a football player.

Did anything unusual or out of the ordinary happen during the game or during Vanier week?

One thing that was kind of funny was that the buses never showed up at the hotel to drive us to SkyDome on game day. I remember us jumping into cabs to the game, and us thinking we were “big time”, pulling into the inside of SkyDome in taxis. The only thing better would’ve been if we had taken limos.

Did the coaches do anything different from normal routine in the preparation for the game?

I think we tried to keep our routine as close to normal as we could. In 1996, there were two weeks between the Churchill Bowl and the Vanier Cup. It was very cold in Saskatoon the first week. I remember practising in the Fieldhouse that week. We had some pretty hard practices on the hard surface in there. Not many of us were overly happy about this but we made it through. I remember thinking that I couldn’t wait to get to Toronto.

How did you or the team react to the stadium and the crowd?

For most of us, it was our second time playing at SkyDome. In 1994, we had all three of our practices leading up to the game in the Dome. In 1996, we had to practise outside at Lamport Stadium because they were shooting a baseball movie at SkyDome that week. We didn’t get to practise in the Dome until Friday, the day before the game. I remember that we didn’t even get into our game-day dressing room until Friday as well. The previous two days, we dressed in the Raptors dressing room. However, because most of us had been there before, the moving around and the novelty of being in the Dome wasn’t overwhelming to us.

What are your memories of the post-game celebrations on the field and/or in the dressing room?

I remember that after the game there was obviously tons of celebrating on the field. There were lots of media doing interviews and everyone was taking pictures with the Cup. There was a team picture, and different position groups had pictures with their coaches. I remember the guys getting pictures with their families. This all seemed to go on for a long time. Dave Fisher and I were among the last guys on the field with the trophy. Everyone else was already in the dressing room. When we carried the Cup into the dressing room, it was bedlam.

The post-game party was held in a ballroom of the hotel. It was tons of fun drinking out of the Cup and getting more pictures with it. Again, there were lots of family and friends celebrating with us. Former teammate, Duane Dymitryshyn had just won the Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts the week before. Duane brought the Grey Cup to the party. We all got pictures with it and drank out of it as well.

What are your memories of the trip back home?

The team flight left very early the next morning. Our sports info person -- Paul Bennett -- was on a later flight that day but wanted to get home early. I decided to switch tickets with him so I could come home later with my future wife, Koraley, and my mom and dad.

I got a call from the front desk of the hotel in the morning after the team had left. They informed me that the Vanier Cup had been found somewhere in the hotel and didn’t make it back to Saskatoon with the team. When it came time for us to leave for the airport, we thought we would just bring it with us. But it’s a huge trophy and there was no way for us to get it into the cab. We decided to leave it and made arrangements for it to be sent to the airport and brought home on a later flight. When I reached Saskatoon, tons of media were waiting because they thought I was bringing the Cup. They were all pretty disappointed when I showed up without it. One of the funny parts of the whole thing was how the different stories began surfacing on how we were just partying with it and it was found under a bed in a hotel room. I don’t think any of the stories were true. I think it just didn’t get put on the bus.

What was the reaction In Saskatoon when the team returned?

People around campus and all over Saskatoon were so excited. We had people recognizing us and congratulating us all the time. I had the opportunity to take the Vanier Cup to many different elementary schools in Saskatoon. The response from all the kids in all parts of Saskatoon was amazing and something I will never forget. Seeing the Cup made all people excited. It definitely had a way of drawing a crowd.

At the time, how did winning the Vanier Cup change your everyday life?

For me, winning the Vanier Cup was an accumulation of a long football career that also included a Canadian junior football championship. Winning the Vanier Cup was a dream for me dating back as long as I can remember. My dad played in two Vanier Cups, winning in 1967 with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. I grew up with it, knowing how special that memory was to him. It was and still is a very special thing I share with him.

I was married the following July and, to this day, we still look at the pictures of Vanier Cup being used as a punch bowl at our wedding reception. So many people still wanted pictures with it. I can remember there even being a line of people waiting for a chance to see it and have their picture taken with it.

How often to you reminisce about that Vanier Cup win?

As I have gotten older, I reminisce a little less than I used to. I don’t see many of the guys as much anymore. When I do see some of them, we talk about our kids and family things now. When I do take time to think about it though, the memories are even more special because it was such an amazing time. My kids are now interested and my son watches the 10-minute YouTube clip of the game from time to time.

Since my playing days, I have been so focused on trying to win it again as a coach that just the opportunity to answer these questions now has really dug up some really great memories. The greatest thing about it is that I did this with an amazing group of guys and nobody can ever take it away from us.

In 1996, you became only the second player to win the Ted Morris Trophy as game MVP twice. What did that mean to you?

Winning the Ted Morris Trophy the first time in 1994 was really special because my dad’s name was also on it from winning the award in 1967. The unfortunate thing was that we didn’t win the game and that was very disappointing. Getting another opportunity in 1996 was the one thing that was really important. Finally winning the Vanier Cup was the ultimate achievement. A second Ted Morris was icing on the cake. It was great to get my name on the trophy and have a win to go along with it. The 1996 Vanier Cup probably wasn’t my best game but the quarterback quite often gets those individual recognitions. Football is the greatest team game there is and it truly took a great effort by everyone on the roster to make it happen.

After the heartbreaking loss in 1994, what did it feel like to finally win the Vanier Cup in 1996?

Losing in 1994 was a really tough one to swallow. I think it was even more disappointing to lose the 1995 Canada West final in overtime to the U of C. We were a pretty young team in 1994, especially on defence. There were a lot of guys who experienced the disappointment of 1994 and also 1995. By 1996, we had grown as a team and were very zeroed into our goal of winning the Vanier Cup. Our defence was a very dominant and veteran group. We were also solid on offence. We had so many great leaders on that team.

When we started training camp in 1996, we had very clear goals and expectations. I remember that we expected to win the Vanier Cup at the end of the season. It is a very hard thing to explain. We just knew we weren’t going to be denied. When we did win, there were so many different emotions that came with winning a national championship. For me, a lot of it was a total feeling of accomplishment and a little relief thrown in there as well.

(Note: After losing 32-30 in overtime to Calgary in the 1995 Canada West final, the Huskies were dominant in the 1996 playoffs, defeating UBC 37-16 in the Hardy Cup and Guelph 33-9 in the Churchill Bowl leading up to their 31-12 win over StFX in the Vanier Cup)

You have now been to Vanier Cup five more times as a coach. Just how hard is it to win this championship?

I was fortunate to be part of the Vanier Cup win in 1998 as a quarterback coach. That was very cool because there were still lots of guys on the team from 1996. Many of them were already starters back then and many others had now moved into new roles as starters.

Through the early 2000’s, it seemed as though we went to the Vanier Cup every year. I have always loved being at the Vanier Cup and have developed a ton of respect for the trophy itself. We lost several heartbreakers in those years. The trips to the big game have dried up in recent years. It has made me cherish my accomplishments as a player even more. You would think that after so many trips to the game, I would have more than two rings. It has proven to me that even though you get to the game and even make it close, it is still an incredibly difficult trophy to get your hands on. I have coached so many great guys over the years and I know that they deserved a better finish to their seasons. I have wished that so many of my players would have gotten the same feeling that I got. Whenever I see an old picture of myself with my hands on the Vanier Cup, I realize how fortunate my teammates and I were to lift it.

(Note: The Huskies claimed their third Vanier Cup title in 1998 with a 24-17 win over Concordia, before settling for second place in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006)