Photo by Carleton Ravens
As student-athletes across campus return to training in advance of the return of winter sport some fresh faces are bringing Grey Cup experience to the Field House. Throughout the winter, the Carleton Ravens will be joined by a trio of guest coaches in Antoine Pruneau, Brad Sinopoli and Mark Nelson.
The additions of former USPORTS student-athletes Pruneau and Sinopoli as guest coaches gives the Ravens players the opportunity to learn first-hand from Grey Cup champions who, not long ago, were in their shoes.
“It means a lot, Sinopoli and Pruneau are a huge part of football in the community, they’re future hall of famers in Canadian football and they know what it takes to play guys who are bigger and faster” said interim head coach Paul-Eddie Saint-Vilien. “Those guys will be able to help us grow up a little faster, and our guys will have two of the best who ever did it show them the game.”
Sinopoli, the former uOttawa Gee-Gee retired from active play in June 2021. Part of the Redblacks famous wide-receiver duo with Greg Ellingson, Sinopoli was a two time Grey Cup champion, two time CFL Most Outstanding Canadian, three-time Eastern Conference Most Oustanding Canadian (Lew Hayman Trophy) and the 2016 Dick Suderman Trophy winner as the most outstanding Canadian in the Grey Cup. During his time at the University of Ottawa the former quarterback was the 2010 Hec Crighton Trophy winner as the most outstanding Canadian player in U SPORTS.
Pruneau, who played his RSEQ football at the Université de Montréal, was a two-time second-team All-Canadian. A 2014 first-round pick of the Redblacks, Pruneau, of Laval, has spent his entire career with Ottawa.
As the Ravens continue they off-season training, the additions of Pruneau, Sinopoli and Nelson will further support the teams focus on player development both on and off the field. “Guys like Antoine and Brad give the guys something to fight for, to help them trust the process and see that the main goal is still to make sure they have success in school while also putting them in a position to have success at the next level.”
