Third-year guard Naim El-Far of the Gee-Gees football team is the Ontario University Athletics’ (OUA) nominee for the 2005 Russ Jackson Award. The award named after Canadian football legend Russ Jackson is given to the football player who best exemplifies the attributes of academic achievement, football skill and citizenship. This year’s winner will be announced on December 2, 2005.
El-Far is a computer science PhD student, who played a critical role in the emergence of the Gee-Gees as one of Canada’s best offensive units this year. A native of Amman, Jordan, El-Far did not take up football until the age of 21.
He serves as the team’s volunteer webmaster, in addition to mentoring teammates. He is a regular volunteer at Ottawa’s Shepherd’s of Good Hope Shelter and a member of Athletes in Action, a Christian fellowship for athletes around the world. Last year, El-Far had a perfect 10.0 grade point average in his courses.
