Former Springfield Sabres and Sunrise Coyotes standout Tommy Walls had plenty to be excited about at the turn of the new year, after announcing that he’d committed to play university football for NCAA Division 3 Eastern University in Pennsylvania. Walls will be amongst the first crop of recruits for the program, which has been building towards their pigskin debut for roughly a decade. 

Walls’ commitment is a testament to his hard work and resiliency in the face of adversity. After his junior season at the WHSFL level with the Sabres was cancelled due to COVID-19, he took matters into his own hands, moving down south for his senior campaign as he didn’t want to risk losing two years of game film and playing time. 

Walls’ program of choice for grade 12 was, interestingly enough, also Springfield. The Cougars’ program is based out of Pennsylvania, which was an easy decision as Walls’ aunt lived ten minutes away from the school. His roots can also be traced back to the states. Walls’ dad Tom is from New York, where he played high school and college football. Tommy and his dad moved to Winnipeg when the former was six, and he started playing the sport not long after. 

Building a base in Winnipeg

Tommy had the pleasure of witnessing his dad build two different programs. First, the Coyotes at the MMFA level and then the Sabres, who made their WHSFL debut in 2019, winning a Division 2 title this past year. A natural leader, he started playing quarterback at age ten, leading the Coyotes to a provincial title just prior to high school. Then, as a sophomore, he earned WHSFL Rookie of the Year honours, as the Sabres went undefeated in the regular season before being upset in the semi-finals. 

“I started playing in Transcona, but there was a need for players in the Springfield area, so we had that club started and just as I was getting into high school, we had a bunch of these Sunrise kids who had nowhere else to play. I really got fortunate with my dad starting those initiatives and it kind of just fell into place for me,” Tommy said. 

“In my early high school years, I remember me, the receivers and my dad, just that core of Sunrise Coyotes and the SCI group, in the offseason probably twice a week, we would go in the Springfield Collegiate gym and try to run routes and one-on-ones when there was really never enough space. That’s probably one of my best football memories, being in the gym in the winter because that’s one of the only places we could run routes.”

Walls’ work ethic has always shone through, and that included his sophomore year, when he began training with Big Air Academy. The skills he learned there were critical for his eventual move to the states, as the Sabres ran an on-ball offence that wasn’t as reliant on the pass. 

“There aren’t really any Canadian teams running anything similar to it, but it’s super good because it’s such a flexible offence, so my ninth grade and tenth grade years, when we didn’t have all the tools to be a successful passing team, that was fine, because it was so flexible and we could run the ball and run the option,” he noted.  

“Big Air was huge for me on the mechanical aspect of things. Every Saturday we would practice in the Garden City Community Centre and coach [Aaron] Giesbrecht was really the first person to establish my mechanics. When I look back at those old videos from my sophomore year, it’s really a night and day difference. It not only increased my efficiency but also my general arm strength.”

Overcoming adversity 

Walls faced adversity in his debut for the Cougars. There was already a class of 2023 pivot there who’d earned the starting job, so it was an uphill climb for the versatile gunslinger, who also had to adapt to a much different offence. 

“Our offence changed a lot during the season. The general philosophy was let’s run five wide and throw the ball as much as we can. It worked for us. We had some pretty talented receivers and a pretty solid o-line. It was definitely a change of pace from the SCI style, but it was something that was good for me,” he said. 

“When I was playing for SCI I never really had to break down a defence or find windows. When I came to Pennsylvania, there were all these progressions and reads and I really had to learn how to read a defence, instead of just throwing the ball to who was open.”

Nonethless, he battled on. An injury to the team’s starter in a game against Unionville meant that he got his first start, and a week later he proved himself against Bishop O’Hara, leading his side to a 21-8 win after throwing for 168 yards and two scores, while also rushing for 24 yards. 

“That I really felt was my chance to prove myself, because against Unionville I really didn’t have any reps in practice, and I wasn’t comfortable with the offence, but then when I got to start against O’Hara I really felt comfortable and I really got to show that I could play football there.” 

Walls’ perseverance and overall skill-set earned him a look for Eastern, who are just down the road from Springfield. As he looks back on his long and winding journey to post-secondary football, he can’t help but be thankful for the lessons he’s learned about determination and commitment. 

“I’m just thankful for the opportunity I got. I learned that you have to stick through things, because when I came down here I knew I was going to have to compete and things really didn’t work out for me for the vast majority of the season, but I just learned that if you see things through and you stick it out, it’s going to go your way eventually, you just have to keep working at it.”