The Carleton Ravens football team will be adding a local recruit to their roster next fall.
Michael Arruda, a quarterback and Ottawa native, was originally committed to play for the University of Ottawa (U of O) Gee-Gees but has decided to move to the Ravens instead.
The 5’9 quarterback will be joining Tanner DeJong and Giordy Belfiore in competition to take over Carleton’s offence from Jesse Mills, who is graduating after four seasons with the Ravens.
Arruda, who moved away from Ottawa to play CÉGEP Division-1 football in Lennoxville, Que. for three years, said he decided it was best for him to come home after being away.
“I was at [U of O] first, and I got a clear picture of two good football teams in the region,” he said. “I wanted to weigh out the odds and I didn’t want to be in a competition at [U of O] and the . . . environment didn’t appeal to me.”
“It just didn’t feel like a team I wanted to be with for the next five years,” he said.
Arruda said being on the sidelines with the Ravens when they beat the Western Mustangs on Sept. 4 swayed his mind towards playing with them next fall.
“The first game I saw was against Western and being on the sidelines—just the vibe I got and how hungry the players were and how much they wanted to win, it was a really great vibe and completely changed my mind and made me want to be a Raven,” he said. “It was a much better environment than at Ottawa.”
“It was a gut decision [to switch to Carleton] and now these guys are my family,” he said.
Arruda brings a lot of experience with him at the quarterback position, having taken two teams to the Bol D’or Championship, being named CÉGEP Division-1 most valuable player, and guiding Quebec to a 2012 Football Canada Cup gold medal.
“Playing at CÉGEP for three years, I am already 21 and most of the kids coming in are 18 and that gives me a big advantage experience wise,” he said. “I have played in two Bol D’ors and CÉGEP Triple AAA is very high calibre. It gives me a huge edge in football IQ.”
He said both himself and the team have high expectations heading into next season, with many veterans in their last year.
“The main goal is winning the Vanier Cup,” Arruda said. “I really want to work hard in the off-season as a second year quarterback to be where the fourth and fifth year receivers and [offensive line] need me to be, because it is their last year and we really want to win for them.”
Beyond his university career, Arruda said he hopes to pursue a career in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
“It’s tough to say but I am aiming to be getting any looks from the CFL, I know it’s not ideal with my height as a quarterback but any chance at the CFL is what I want,” he said.
“If it’s not playing maybe if I got some offers coaching that would be nice. But what I’m studying right now is criminology with honours in psychology so anything in the police force or helping out less fortunate children—if it’s not football it will be something in that area,” Arruda said.
