First Nations player starring at U of T eyes pro career

Gavin Hemeon and his teammates with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues football squad have yet to win a game this season.

But Hemeon, a member of Red Rock Indian Band in northwestern Ontario, is remaining upbeat in what could potentially be his final season of university ball.

The Varsity Blues saw their record fall to 0-5 on Oct. 3 when they were blanked 46-0 by the visiting Guelph Gryphons in a match held at Toronto’s Varsity Stadium.

“It’s a rough start,” said Hemeon, a right tackle who packs 300 pounds onto his 6-foot-7 frame.  “But we’ve still got three games left and I feel good about those three games. And I think we could win all three.”

Hemeon, one of the Varsity Blues’ captains, could potentially come back and play the 2027 season at U of T, but he’s not sure if that will happen since he’s also eligible for next year’s Canadian Football League (CFL) draft. That pro draft will be held April 13.

Hemeon believes he is ready to step up and compete in the pro ranks next year.

“I’ve been meeting different people (from CFL teams) and talking to my agent,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Hemeon believes there is one particular aspect of his game that he needs to improve on.

“I definitely need to enhance my run blocking, be a bit lower,” he said. “But I’m just trying to get better every week.”

Hemeon said he probably doesn’t need to get any bigger to challenge for a job in the pro ranks.

“I think the weight I'm sitting at, I'm pretty comfortable at my position of tackle,” he said. “So, I think 300 (pounds) is fine.”

Since he will still have one season of eligibility at the university level remaining after this year, Hemeon has already thought of what he would do if he doesn’t get drafted or crack a CFL roster.

“I would come back (to U of T),” said Hemeon, an Arts and Sciences student majoring in History. “I’m trying to pursue a masters in teaching and then be a teacher after football.”

Hemeon started playing football in Grade 7 and started making a name for himself in high school. He attended St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ont. and was selected as his team’s most valuable lineman in his graduating season.

By that point he was keen to play at the university level.

“I got some film and I just reached out to a bunch of coaches at these (university) programs,” he said. “I was reaching out on social media platforms, sending them my film. Then I got responses back. I tried to keep my grades up and picking university classes in high school.”

When he chose to attend U of T, he did go through a bit of an adjustment period.

“When I came to Toronto it was a big difference from northwestern Ontario,” he said.

And though he was a star in high school, Hemeon did not see any game-time action in his first year with the Varsity Blues.

He didn’t hit the field with the club until his second season.

“I came in as a defensive end,” Hemeon said. “And then about halfway through the first-year season, I was asked to switch to O-line (offensive line). They said I would perform better at O-line and I made the switch. It's been good for me.”

Hemeon dressed for all eight of the Varsity Blues’ contests in each of the past three seasons. And, as his captaincy indicates, he’s also played a key role with his squad this year.

Though his club suffered a lopsided defeat against Guelph, Hemeon was still positive.

“I’m happy with this year,” he said. “Personally, I feel like I'm performing great this year. The boys are doing great. We’ve had a couple hiccups. But we’ve got the rest of the season here.”

The Varsity Blues return to action on Oct. 9 with a road game in Hamilton versus the McMaster Marauders.

U of T’s final home game of the season is scheduled for Oct. 17 against their crosstown rivals, the York Lions.

The Varsity Blues’ final match of the year is set for Oct. 24 in the nation’s capital against the Carleton Ravens.

Hemeon is a member of Red Rock Indian Band through his mother. His father, who is from Thunder Bay, is non-Indigenous.

Hemeon only lived briefly on his First Nation when he was younger. Besides Thunder Bay, his family also lived in the Ontario town of Sioux Lookout and in Inuvik in the Northwest Territories.