'You have to pay it forward': Sask. Huskies welcomes new recruits during fundraising event

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ Dog’s Breakfast filled Prairieland Park for its 21st edition Thursday, with roughly 1,400 people raising $110,000 for the Huskies Football Foundation.

"The amount that people care -- it matters," head coach Scott Flory said. "We just want to be able to reciprocate all the support that we get."

The roughly two-hour event is a fundraising spectacle with the money going towards dozens of scholarships and other team enhancements. Over the previous 20 years, the breakfast has raised more than $2 million to fund hundreds of scholarships.

The breakfast is also an opportunity for the team to introduce 21 new recruits joining the team. Flory says it's hard to describe how big the event is for the wide-eyed teenagers walking up to the stage as a member of the Huskies.

"You can't put this into words," he said. "They don't really know until you actually get here and you see it and feel it. It's vital to our program."

It wasn't long ago when Dayton Black showed up to the event full of intimidation after playing his football in Brandon, Man. growing up.

After realizing his draft dreams Tuesday when he was selected in the first round, sixth overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL Draft -- the fourth consecutive year a Huskies player has been selected in the first round -- Black's found a new way to appreciate the fundraising efforts of the community as he sets his sights on pro football.

"It shows that it's very realistic. Guys from small town Manitoba, Saskatchewan -- it doesn't matter as long as you put in that hard work," Black said. "It definitely helps you put the right foot in the right direction:"

Marshall Faulk was the guest speaker of the Dog's Breakfast. The Hall of Fame and SuperBowl champion running back is best remembered for leading "The Greatest Show on Turf," the nickname applied to the record-breaking St. Louis Rams offence in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

He embraced the opportunity to be able to speak to young, aspiring football players.

"Regardless, if you go on to play professional ball, or whatever your professional life is, the opportunity that is given, at some point and time you have to pay it forward. That's how the laws of reciprocity work in life and how grateful they should be to have this opportunity," Faulk said before stepping up to the stage.

After Vanier Cup appearances in two straight years, Flory acknowledged recruiting in the offseason is getting easier when you're a team consistently challenging for a national title.

"There's no doubt that they know who we are," he said. "I get way more emails, that's for sure."

But national prominence isn't affecting the team's ability to recruit within Saskatchewan, as that has always been a high priority for a program made up of roughly 70 per cent Saskatchewanians. This year, new members are coming from Waskesiu, Melfort, Assiniboia, Rosetown, Melville and Yorkton.

"It's not necessarily that they're from here or that they're local, it's that they are really good football players," Flory said.

Now the Huskies will focus on football as they strive to play in a third straight Vanier Cup.

Thursday night is the first practice of the team's spring camp, which wraps up Sunday morning.

--With files from CTV's Mike Ciona.