Russ Jackson Award Winner
Cam Teschuk, fifth-year Asper student and Bison Football team captain/defensive back, has been honoured with the prestigious Russ Jackson Award in recognition of academic excellence, community citizenship, and athletic performance.
According to GoBison.ca,
Teschuk, 23, is only the second Manitoba player to merit the prestigious Russ Jackson Award. Linebacker Thomas Hall was a back-to-back recipient in 2009 and 2010.
In his fifth and final season with the Bisons, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound defensive back produced another strong campaign with 23 tackles, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery in eight league contests. A co-captain for the third consecutive year, the St. Paul’s High School product has shown his reliability during his time on the U of M campus as he did not miss a conference game over his last four seasons.
In the classroom, the Winnipeg native is a four-time Academic All-Canadian with a cumulative GPA of 4.13 in the faculty of management, and is well on his way to receiving the honour once again this year. Involved in multiple student associations, the Rhodes scholarship applicant has been selected to represent the University of Manitoba at eight different national and international business case study competitions.
An active member of the Winnipeg volunteer community, Teschuk has worked on several initiatives with the homeless, including volunteering for the Five Days for the Homeless campaign. He has also volunteered at the Siloam Mission homeless shelter and spent time raising donations for Shinerama – a student-run organization that raises money for Cystic Fibrosis research – and the True North Foundation, which works to empower youth in the Winnipeg community.
In addition, Teschuk has worked with Bison Book Buddies and the Bison Buddy Bash, which sees student-athletes go to schools to read and play sports with kids. His football expertise has also extended off campus as a coach, working annually with the Blue Bomber Crunchers Youth Football Camp and with the Manitoba Fearless – a woman’s spring football team – where he will become a full-time coach this spring.
“I am proud of Cam. I have coached for 42 years and during that time he is unquestionably one of the best people I have known through the game of football,” said Bisons head coach Brian Dobie. “He is an absolute teammate, great friend and an unselfish and tireless worker who always seems to be doing the right things for the common good and the well-being of those that surround him. He is not only an exceptional representative of the Bison football program but also of the entire University of Manitoba community. Cam personifies the integrity and character of recipients of the prestigious Russ Jackson Award.”