Concordia Stinger linebacker Patrick Donovan made CIS history last night at a gala dinner in Saskatoon by winning the President's Trophy as the outstanding defensive player in the country for the second year in a row and keeping the trophy in the Donovan family for a third straight year.
The 2005 recipient, Donovan is only the second player in CIS history to claim back-to-back President's trophies since the inception of the award in 1980. UBC's Mike Emery was honored in 1981 and 1982.
Donovan's older brother Mickey won the President's Trophy in 2004, also as a linebacker with the Stingers. Mickey went on to spend the 2005 season with the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Hampered by injuries, he returned home and helped the University of New Hampshire Wildcats this past season.
Meanwhile Patrick Donovan returned to the Concordia Stingers in 2006 with a mission. He wanted to be better than he was in his 2005 President's Trophy winning season. He wanted to best every play, every bench press and every film anaylsis. In the process he would help the 2006 Stingers improve on their 2005 effort.
Under his direction - and there's no doubt about it, the Concordia defence belongs to Donovan - Concordia has established one the top defence's in the CIS. The Stingers give up an average of 16.4 points a game (No. 3 in the CIS) 319 yards a game (No. 6 in the CIS) and were very strong against the rush (4rd in the CIS). When Donovan is in the lineup (he missed two games) the numbers are radically different. The Stingers give up 11.8 points a game (No. 1 in the CIS) and allow only 55.8 yards rushing a game (No. 1 in the CIS). In addition, in the six regular season games Donovan suited up for the Stingers' defence allowed only three touchdowns - and all of those were passing TDs.
The exceptional defensive play helped Concordia finish in second place in the QUFL and reach the Dunsmore Cup championship for the first time since 2003.
In six games Donovan, a fifth-year Leisure Sciences student, collected 36 total tackles, but more importantly he forced other teams in the QUFL to scheme and plan attacks around him.
"He's a tremendous athlete," says Concordia head coach Gerry McGrath. "He has a great aptitude for the position. Physically and mentally he's a born middle linebacker."
