Liam Reid is making it his business to be stellar on the defensive side of the football.
Reid, a Vernon Panthers alumnus who is in his third year in the school’s Haskayne Business program, and teammate Nate Beauchemin of Kelowna were among three members of the University of Calgary Dinos football team named to the Canada West Conference All-Star squad, as voted on by conference head coaches.
Calgary wide receiver Ben Britton was named to the offensive all-star team.
Reid, a defensive end, had a superb 2024 season starting all eight games. He joined the team in 2021 from Vernon Secondary School, earning a starting spot midway through his freshman season and also playing on special teams.
The six-foot-three, 240-pound Reid is in his fourth year of studies in the Haskayne School of Business. He is the nephew of former Canadian Football League player Angus Reid, and older brother of Dinos receiver Roan Reid.
This past year Reid recorded 20 solo tackles along with nine assisted tackles, four quarterback sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in eight conference contests.
“Liam has definitely earned being a conference all-star,” said Dinos defensive coordinator Ben D’Andrea. “He is a very dynamic player and can disrupt offences in a lot of different ways.”
Reid’s high school coach, Sean Smith, said his former player’s contribution to the Dinos got bigger and better every year.
“Liam has always been a team first guy and does whatever it takes to help his team win,” said Smith on the Panthers’ social media pages. “He was asked to move positions in his Panther days and did the same for the Dinos. I’m so proud of what he’s been able to accomplish on the field at the next level – but I’m more proud of the leader he’s become.”
Beauchemin had a fabulous season at safety on the Dinos’ defence, earning a unanimous selection.
The 22-year-old old former Kelowna Secondary School Owl led the conference with four interceptions including two for touchdown returns in one game. He also recorded 54 total tackles of which 28 were solo. He also had one forced fumble. In week two of the Canada West regular season, Beauchemin earned Conference Defensive Player of the Week honours.
The six-foot-two, 200-pound Beauchemin joined the Dinos from KSS in 2021 seeing action on special teams before gaining a starting spot in the defensive backfield the following season.
“Nate is one of the nation’s top free safeties,” said D’Andrea. “His ability to play the football along with his physicality and tackling is what separates him from the others.”
D’Andrea tried to recruit Beauchemin to go east when he was coaching at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.
As well as excelling on the football field, Beauchemin is outstanding in the classroom. The fourth year kinesiology major has been a U Sports Academic all-Canadian each year he has been at the U of C.
Jack Neumann is a retired sports information director with the University of Calgary
