Balancing an academic and athletic career can be a challenge. Balancing studying astrophysics and playing varsity football looks like “some crazy stuff,” according to teammates of Trevor Hoyte, third-year linebacker from Gatineau, who is both a future medical school applicant and a Canadian Football League (CFL) hopeful.
“It’s just like a theoretical particle-based physics, but we look at the stars sometimes,” Hoyte said when describing his program.
The differences run deep as other players spend the summer working at summer camps. Hoyte works for the university in the physics department studying “Four Dimensional Cone Beam CT Scans.”
“Whenever I see him in the change room he’s always doing work,” said first-year linebacker Malik Yusuf.
“It’s really commendable that he can be that good on the field and that smart off the field. I don’t understand [astrophysics], not at all,” Yusuf said.
Yusuf roomed with Hoyte during away games and noticed Hoyte would always have his laptop and would always be studying and making time off the field to do work, but he still had time for Yusuf.
“He’s playing my position so he’s kind of like my rookie,” said Hoyte with a smile.
“Overall, he’s just a really great guy – works really hard in the gym, very dedicated. He’s done a lot to help make me a better player,” said Yusuf, adding he’s always felt comfortable going to the gym with Hoyte or having him explain coverages.
On the field, Hoyte had a break-out season this year, winning his first Ontario University Athletic (OUA) All Star award. While off the field he’s been recognised for the third time as an Academic All-Canadian.
Hoyte got some breaks this year. He was pushed into the spotlight after teammate Josh Walsh left the Waterloo game with a concussion and missed the rest of the regular season.
When Jack Cassar, also Hoyte’s roommate, was suspended for targeting, Hoyte had to step up again.
Those three will likely play a large part of the linebackers’ corps next season.
Cassar, who was awarded first team all-Canadian, took stock of Hoyte’s success this year.
“This year, winning his first-team OUA award, he’s really stepped up for sure,” Cassar said. “He’s one of those guys that will make a big contribution next year … him and Louis are going to be controlling that defence.”
Athletics were key to Hoyte’s family – his father a former football player at Laurier and his sister an All-Canadian Rugby player at Concordia University. However, academic success has always been paramount to Hoyte, his parents always teaching him that school comes before sports.
Maintaining a balance is the “biggest struggle,” said Hoyte.
While working on the field or in the weight room is one thing, finding the time to review other teams’ offence is next to impossible for Hoyte, who sometimes finds himself drowning in school work.
“Early in my career I was not watching any film or enough film at all. And just recently I was like able to tell myself I needed to start,” Hoyte said. “It’s kind of who you are as a person. If you’re gonna get it all done, you’re gonna get it all done.”
Upon graduation, Hoyte hasn’t decided between academic or athletic pursuits. Nor does he feel he has to.
“I want to go to med school at McGill and hopefully get in and do it while doing the CFL. Half and half.”
While for most people, attending medical school or joining the CFL seem to be sufficient goals individually, Hoyte thinks with some accommodation he could manage both.
“The CFL is only for six months of the year. Maybe I could take online classes then.”
Feature image by Tim Austen.
