By: Mike Still (@mikstill94)
Feature photo: Letander (R) signs his letter of intent to play for Manitoba. Photo by Isaiah Letander.
Kelvin defensive lineman Isaiah Letander has only been playing football for two years, but he’s already cemented himself as one of the best up-and-coming prospects in the province.
Letander grew up as a basketball fan and started playing the sport beginning in grade seven. As he got older however, his body began to mature, and in grade 10 Clipper football head coach Jon Romu took notice, telling him he should try out the sport.
Letander played in one game during his sophomore year and decided at first that he wasn’t going to continue. But thanks to some coaxing from his friends, he opted to come back for his grade 11 season. It was the best decision he could have ever made.
“The hitting part wasn’t really my thing,” he says lightheartedly. “I didn’t really like that, but once I started learning how to hit and learning how to take a hit, it became way more fun.”
The soft-spoken athlete’s first game in grade 11 served as a teaser for what was to come all year. He was put at tight end and asked to lead block for 2017 Division 2 Rookie of the Year Daniel Moroz. The rest, as they say, is history. He pancaked three defenders on the play, demonstrating his physicality and brute strength at 6’4” and 265 pounds.
“It was such an adrenaline rush and it felt amazing,” he says of the game’s opening play.
Letander ended the contest with two receptions for 45 yards and also flashed his defensive prowess, with four tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. It was just the start for the hulking defensive lineman, who ended the 2017 season with 31.5 tackles, six sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a safety en route to being named the Kas Vidruk Award winner as Division 2’s top down lineman.
“I didn’t really expect to win [the award]. When they called my name I was so shocked. I didn’t move for a second because I thought I didn’t hear them right,” Letander says humbly.
“When I brought the trophy home, I was like, this is my sport. I knew I had to keep going with it and work harder.”
That’s exactly what Letander did, as he earned a spot on Team Manitoba’s U18 roster this past summer. He excelled on the defensive line, as the captain earned Top Defensive Player honours for his squad, as well as a spot with Team Canada’s U18 roster.
“At first I felt really uncomfortable,” he says of the Canada Cup experience. “I didn’t know if I was going to do well or anything. But then once I started playing my game and gave it my all, it became really fun and challenging.”
Letander’s play for Team ‘Toba garnered him a number of looks from various universities. But when push came to shove, he committed to play for Brian Dobie and the home town Manitoba Bisons prior to the start of his senior year with Kelvin.
“He’s an amazing person,” Letander says of Dobie. “He really knows his stuff and I really trust him with my future because he’s seen it all. He talked to me about what could happen and it was nice.”
While the versatile defensive lineman is excited to start his university career next year, he’s also focused on the here and now, specifically the WHSFL playoffs, which start this week. The Clippers are the top seed in Division 2’s Vidruk Conference and are looking to capture their first CTV Bowl title since 2012.
“We’re aiming big,” Letander says.
“We want to win the whole thing, but right now our team motivation is our shutouts. For the first four games we hadn’t let any teams score against us, so that’s what’s really pushing our team to keep going.”