By: Mike Still

Just under a minute into a conversation with local product Tyrece Viner-Cox, it quickly became evident that he eats, sleeps and breathes football.

“Football, really that’s it for me,” he says passionately. “This is the only thing I really care about. I decided when I was a young kid that I would put my best foot forward and try to go as far as I want.”

Since age seven, the versatile player – who’s suited up as a running back, defensive end, receiver and linebacker – has lived up to his words. For example, when he was still in junior high, he made Team Manitoba’s U16 provincial team as a running back.

“My dad said, ‘you’re probably not going to make this team. You’re big, but you’re the youngest kid.’ And I told myself, I told my dad and I told my uncles, no, I’m doing this, and I’m going to make this team.”

High school recognition

Viner-Cox continued to prove that he was one of the best prospects in the country throughout his high school career. In his grade nine season with Dakota in 2014, he was named Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) Rookie of the Year after starting on both sides of the ball as a receiver and defensive end.

“My expectations for Dakota were to play a lot, and be someone who could make a difference, but I never expected to play both sides early,” he says.

“But as I got there and as I was playing, my expectations for myself shot up. I wanted to go in there and make as many plays as I could. I knew I was the youngest kid, but that never really bothered me.”

The following year, Viner-Cox took his game to the next level, moving to Welland, Ontario to play for Canada Prep Academy – the only high school in the nation to play a full season of American football exclusively against US high schools.

“I wanted to go [NCAA] Division 1, so I was like, I’ll go there [to Canada Prep],” he says. “I didn’t know how much I would play, because I was the youngest kid again.

Despite his age, Viner-Cox started both ways yet again, making plays at receiver and defensive end. It also didn’t take him long to get acquainted with his new surroundings.

“[Playing for Canada Prep] was really cool for me,” he says of his time in Ontario. Leaving home was never really a big deal for me. Since I was a kid, I knew I was going to live on my own, and my dreams were to leave Winnipeg, so it was cool to see how I developed, not only on the football field, but as a person.

“My second month in, I was like, whatever. My friends, yeah cool I’ll see them another time. I’m trying to chase something for myself right now. I never really had home sickness or anything like that.”

At the end of the 2015 season, Viner-Cox returned home at the request of his parents. He finished his high school career playing two seasons with the Garden City Fighting Gophers.

His defensive numbers with Garden City were in the top five for both his junior and senior years, as he amassed 84 tackles and six sacks. He also tacked on over 200 yards receiving. Additionally, Viner-Cox was recognized by CanadaFootballChat (CFC) as the 41st ranked prospect in all of Canada during his senior year.

The hard-nosed athlete’s performance – specifically in grade 11 – was even more impressive, considering the fact that he was coming off of an MCL injury from the spring.

International bowl and commitment to Calgary

Viner-Cox’s abilities also extended beyond the local high school ranks in his senior year, as he was named to Team Canada’s U18 roster for the 2018 International Bowl series against the United States in early January. His selection was due to a stellar performance at the Canada Cup earlier in the summer.

Canada made a statement in the contest, defeating the Americans 44-26. Viner-Cox contributed to Canada’s victory with a sack.

“I just felt comfortable,” he says of his performance in the contest.

“After my sack, my teammates were all happy for me. We were all motivated, so that was big. I was waiting for a sack for so long in that game, and after I got it was just a relief.”

With all of his accolades, it’s no surprise that, starting in grade 10, Viner-Cox garnered interest from university programs in Canada and the United States. American teams such as Maine and UConn were interested in his services, and it seemed like his Division 1 dreams would become a reality.

Unfortunately, his grades weren’t where they needed to be, and just like that, the American options began to fizzle. But when one door closed, another one opened – this one in the form of the 2017 Hardy Cup-winning Calgary Dinos.

The Dinos were interested in a number of players from Team Canada’s U18-winning roster, and Viner-Cox at defensive end was one of them. After some discussions with his International Bowl comrades, he made his decision.

“It’s funny, because when we were playing Team Canada, we were all like, we don’t want this to stop. So a couple players were like ‘lets go to Calgary.’ And we all agreed,” he says.

“I’m just really comfortable going there, and I feel like I can contribute, and they’re going to get me right.”

With his commitment, Viner-Cox became another key piece to a Dinos recruiting class that was ranked first overall by CFC for the 2018 season. The class includes 12 other players in CFC’s 2018 top 100 rankings, as well as seven other members that suited up alongside Viner-Cox for Team Canada.

Arguably the most important fact for the Winnipeg native though, is the fact that Calgary graduated four defensive linemen, which increases his chances of starting as a true freshman.

This opportunity isn’t lost on Viner-Cox, and knowing his track record, he should be right in the discussion for a starting spot depending on how training camp later this summer goes.

“My goal is to go in and be a true freshman. I’ve been saying this, I really, really want to be a true freshman,” he says. “I’m a very versatile player, and I feel like that will be an advantage.”