If 2007 turns out to be the last season in Mat Nesbitt's university football career, he certainly made the most of it.

On Thursday, the University of Regina Rams linebacker was named the most outstanding defensive player in Canada West. He is now up for the President's Trophy as the top defensive player in the CIS.

Even though he has played only four seasons at the CIS level, Nesbitt may not have another one on the horizon. He could be a victim of having left university football last season to spend the 2006 campaign with the Okanagan Sun of the B.C. (junior) Football Conference. A CIS rule stipulates that players have only two years directly after high school to play football at any level other than university. Because Nesbitt played junior in his fourth season after high school, he was forced to use a year of eligibility.

Maybe I can appeal and come back next year, but I knew that coming back I was going to give it everything I had this year," said Nesbitt, who was with the Rams from 2003-2005. "It just turned out the way it did.

"At the start of the season, I knew it was open season on the linebacking position. I never played like I had something to prove. I just played my game. I knew that would work out the best for me, but it turned out even better."

Upon his return to the Rams, Nesbitt immediately wreaked havoc on the lives of opposing offences. He led the conference with 64 tackles while also recording seven tackles for losses, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

To compare the Rams' defensive statistics last season -- without Nesbitt -- to this season with the Regina product is to look at two very different units.

Last season, the Rams were sixth in the conference against the run, beating out only the winless Simon Fraser Clan. This season, they were ranked third in Canada West, allowing 131.4 rushing yards per game.

"He's makes a major impact versus the run -- he's a real downhill, fill-in-his-gap linebacker," said defensive co-ordinator Paul Dawson. "He brings such a load that he can take on linemen and get off and make a play. If he ends up being blocked by a running back, it's a huge mismatch that we win all the time.

"He's 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds and can run like a guy who's 190."
Nesbitt is only the second Rams player to win the award. Jeff Zimmer, now Regina's linebackers coach, was the first in 2001.

"His coaching is a big reason I was able to do this," said Nesbitt.

Zimmer was just as complimentary toward Nesbitt.

"He brings a lot of toughness to the middle -- that's what we were missing last year," said Zimmer.

"We didn't have anyone that would step in there and plug a gap. That's no offence to the guys we had. We didn't expect that of them. But we needed someone to play a little more physical on the inside and that's his game."

As much of an honour as the award is, Nesbitt isn't thinking too much about it as the Rams prepare to face the Manitoba Bisons in the Hardy Cup conference final Saturday in Winnipeg.

"It's just nice to see the other coaches noticed me and that I affected the Rams this year," said Nesbitt.

He would admit, however, that such an award gives a lot more credence to a defence that, in the past, was viewed by many other teams in the conference as soft.

"People have to take it seriously," said Nesbitt. "If they don't, it's a serious mistake."

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