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Sun Spots: Mac Wynsouw

By Ryan Watters (@ryan2tswatters), 01/26/15, 11:30AM PST

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Quarterback turned Defensive Lineman

It’s been one of the most impressive “change of positions” in Canadian Junior Football League history.

In 2008 Sun alum Mac Wynsouw move from his back-up quarterback position to starting defensive lineman; chasing the quarterback.  “My decision to move to DL was made after a sit down talk with coach (and now GM) Jay Christensen.  I wanted to play and help the team more than I was and we decided on DL. Best football decision I made for my career.”

The move paid off as Wynsouw was named the team’s most Improved Player in his first year on the defensive side (2008), which he says is one of his most memorable moments as a member of the orange and brown.

His other moment came in his first season in 2004, when the Sun played the Edmonton Huskies in the Canadian Bowl on October 30th.  Though the Sun fell 24-7 in Edmonton, Wynsouw said it was the highlight of his career.

Unfortunately for Wynsouw, 2004 was the only taste of a national championship game he played in.  Over the next four seasons he played in the Cullen Cup but didn’t advance.  In 2005 the Sun lost in the BCFC title game to the South Surrey (Langley) Rams, before losing to Andrew Harris and the Vancouver Island Raiders in 2006, 2007 and 2008.  Oddly enough in the 2008 game, one of the only positives for the Sun that afternoon was a Wynsouw fumble recovery which led to the lone Sun touchdown.

In 2009, his second year on the defensive line, Wynsouw injured his knee in Kamloops in the third game of the season and never played again.

Following his rehab the KSS grad had university opportunities but decided not to risk further injury and went to work in the oil patch. Which is where he met his beautiful fiancé and ultimately led to the birth of his son.

When asked if he would trade places with any of the current defensive line Wynsouw says, “of course I would trade with a current player and do it all over, playing with the Sun was some of the best years of my life!”  The decision would be that much easier if his friend and former teammate Larry Hillary was invited back as well, “we both played strong side DL and had lots of little fake audibles and calls which made it lots of fun. He's one of my best friends still to this day!”

To the current players the Kelowna native offers this advice, “Enjoy it! Work hard, you practice against the best offense in the league everyday and don't take it for granted. These are the best years of your life so don't waste the time on the field because when you're off it, you miss it forever.”

Wynsouw was part of the 2008 Sun team that faced tragedy with the sudden passing of teammate Janson Towers on the eve of their playoff game with the Rams.   One of the lessons he takes away from that tragedy is something Mrs. Towers told the team, “"Never give up, never retreat, get this sh*t done, and give 'er hell!" And "To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.”

Today Wynsouw isn’t playing football, instead he’s a loving father of his son Xander, engaged to Christina and working with Import Toole Corp in Edmonton.