Leif Magnuson always dreamed of playing football in the United States.
Now the 17-year-old offensive tackle at Bethlehem Catholic High School has a serious shot of playing on the gridiron south of the border.
Magnuson, six-foot-five and 260 pounds, has received several offers from NCAA schools including Indiana, Washington State, Boston College and Kansas University.
"They've said 'we've never seen a guy this big and this kind of fast, and they wouldn't expect it to come from a kid from Saskatchewan," Magnuson says.
Over the last two years, his recruitment profile has skyrocketed, attracting attention from schools across the U.S.
"I always knew I wanted to play American football growing up. In Grade 10 I went to a North Dakota camp and from them, seeing their campuses at the time, it was just kind of mind blowing to me just seeing facilities and stuff like that."
It has not been an easy road. On top of weight training and practices, getting even a shot down south takes persistence, including calling coaches and travelling around the country. It's familiar for his father, who also was courted by NCAA schools when he was young.
"That's a really unique situation. Back in the day when I got offers from Washington State, Michigan State, Oregon State and so forth, that was really cool. And now 30 years later almost to the day, my son is now getting offers from the larger schools,” said Leif’s father, Quinn.
A lot of work still lies ahead.
"This whole process has kind of been a bit crazy, And with that I'm just happy for the sport with my friends and family," Leif said.
Quinn offers encouragement for other aspiring players..
"There are a lot of kids in this city and in this province that could play in the United States. They just need to put themselves out there and they need to make contact."
