Mounties' Gary Ross

UPDATE: Mounties’ QB Hughes is named AUFC MVP

Gary Ross ('10) has made a name for himself as the top special-teams player in the country the past three years, but it has been his unique back story that has drawn a lot of the attention at Mount A.

Gary, 26, is a married father of three children aged five and under and balances a busy home life with a full schedule of football practices and games.

An academic all-Canadian, he plans to pursue medical school and has a sterling grade-point average as a biology major.

As good a football player as Gary is, he's an even better person.

Gary had made a deal with his wife, Tenecia, that in order to raise their family, he would work while she went to university, with the two switching roles once she graduated.

A football and basketball star in high school in Windsor, Ont., he spent five years at a factory assembling welding guns and didn't pursue school or football until two years ago.

Gary knew little about our school, but realized he would get a chance to play a big role, given the Mounties' limited on-field success. Now, the game's most exciting moments at Mount A are determined by when the punt-return team is on the field.

He led the Atlantic conference in receptions, receiving yardage, all-purpose yards and punt-return average - and is a strong candidate to be the conference's most valuable player and nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy, awarded annually to the most outstanding player in Canadian university football.

Mount Allison ended a 34-game losing string in his first year and has since won four more games.

With a 2-6 record heading into this Saturday's conference semi-final against the St. Francis Xavier X-Men, the Mounties are heavy underdogs in just their second playoff appearance in the past decade.

Full story: Ross leads Mount Allison's run into the postseason (Globe & Mail)