Red Deer’s Scott Pearson started playing minor football at the peewee level when he was in Grade 6 but that wasn’t his first real football experience.

“I went to the Hunting Hills bantam spring jamboree in Grade 5 just because my dad was the coach of the team,” he said. “I just remember at the jamboree I couldn’t get hit.”

The 18-year-old has some fond memories of his introduction to the game under the Red Deer Minor Football system.

“My first year was the first year for peewee football in Red Deer and when my dad and I heard it was starting up we were really excited because it gave me a chance to play earlier.”

He went on to go through the Bantam program as a player who could get hit this time and then took the next step into the high school game at Hunting Hills.

During the years in high school he grew a lot, both physically and in a football sense as far as learning the game under Lightning Head Coach Kyle Sedgewick.

“I also developed a better understanding of the game and a love for the game that I never had before,” he said.

This journey now sees him vying for a position on the University of Alberta Golden Bears roster this year armed with plenty of good advice from his old coach.

“The main thing he (Sedgewick) taught me was how to win, how to win properly and what I had to do to prepare in order to win football games,” he said.

With four quarterbacks expected in camp he’s well aware of what his season might consist of.

“Two quarterbacks are going into their fourth year, they’re battling it out for the starting position and then me and another high school recruit are coming in and most likely we’ll both be red-shirting this season.”

On top of study in the classroom there will certainly be some study done on the Bears practice field as well.

“I’m really hoping to learn the playbook,” he said. “It’s a pretty complicated offence and I’m hoping to get comfortable in it.”

He admits it will be tough come game time to not be there as a part of the action as the Bears only dress two quarterbacks but he has a game plan for that situation as well.

“I just have to focus on improving myself individually and if I’m asked to help the team in any way that’s what I’ve got to do.”

sports@reddeerexpress.com