Vanier Cheetahs football player offered full athletic scholarship with University of Minnesota

Vanier College’s Director General Mr. Normand W. Bernier is pleased to announce that Vanier Cheetahs football defensive lineman Julien Kafo has been offered a full scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota Division 1 program starting in the fall of 2014.

Joining an illustrious line-up of university and professional football players

“I am very proud of this achievement and I offer my heartfelt congratulations to Julien and his family. For many years Vanier’s football program has been producing athletes that have gone on to great careers at the university and professional level and I am convinced that Julien will be the latest person to join the ranks of these outstanding players,” said Mr. Bernier. Some of those former Cheetahs include Tshimanga "Tim" Biakabutuka who won a scholarship to the University of Michigan then went on to be the running back for the Carolina Panthers, Patrick Kabongo who signed with Nebraska, and Eddie Azcona who played in two Rose Bowls and the Gator Bowl.

From Mont-Tremblant to Vanier to Minnesota Julien is a third year student and football player at Vanier. He will be graduating in the Social Science program. He is originally from Mont-Tremblant, Quebec and applied to Vanier because he was interested in pursuing his football career after playing in a smaller football program in Ste-Agathe, Quebec.

Vanier truly prepared me for this challenge “I am very excited about joining the University of Minnesota, I feel privileged since only a small percentage of athletes from the College level in Canada get this type of opportunity. I really think that my three years at Vanier prepared me not only athletically but academically to rise to this challenge,” said Julien Kafo.

Signing of letter of intent On February 5th 2014 at 12:30 p.m. Julien will participate in a symbolic signing of the letter of intent for his national scholarship during an event that will be held in the lobby of the Vanier Sports Complex located at Vanier College, 821 St. Croix Blvd. in Montreal.