No, his head coach was not messing with him.
Fred Canning, the quarterback at William Aberhart High School, thought Marlon Mohammed might have been pulling his leg when the coach informed his star player that he was the winner of the 2025 Division 2 Harry Hood Memorial Scholarship award.
“When I found out that I had won the award it felt surreal. I even asked my coach if he was joking it felt so unreal. I’m very honoured even to have been nominated by my coaches, let alone win this award,” said Canning.
“It is truly an honour to win this award and it means so much to me.”
Mohammed said Canning’s tenacity and great attitude make him an ideal recipient of the scholarship.
“He is not a person that quits. He is persistent and continues to adjust, and is willing to be coached,” said Mohammed.
“He worked hard to become stronger and skilled by taking camps and playing in the community league.”
Added Mohammed: “Fred is a great teammate who helps others get better. He was willing to play other positions as needed. He is a good student who works hard to achieve high marks in his courses. Fred also helps out in the community by giving his time to causes that are close to his heart, because he genuinely cares about them.”
Canning said athletics have always been a big part of his life.
“Once I got to junior high, I became friends with someone who would reinvigorate my passion for sports, specifically football. I told my parents that I wanted to play football and, at first, they were against it due to the injury risk, so I played baseball instead. I really enjoyed playing baseball, but I just wanted to play football. So, the following year they signed me up for flag football, and the year after that they finally signed me up for full contact football,” said Canning.
“I always had to work to be good, whether that is off-season training or working on the mental aspect of the game. This makes me appreciate and love football in a different way, not only because it’s fun to play and watch, but because it is hard and teaches life lessons like discipline and teamwork.”
Canning plans to pursue a university education in engineering or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
“I really want to have an impact on the world in a positive way, and STEM gives me the biggest chance to make that impact. What happens in regard to football is still up in the air. I need to see over these coming months what I feel is best,” he said.
The Calgary Booster Club, in partnership with the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association (CSHSAA), names three Harry Hood Memorial Scholarship winners each year.
The award – which was established in 1956 – is given annually to top student athletes in Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 football. It is named after Harry Hood, who played for the Calgary Stampeders from 1948 through 1952 before passing away due to cancer in 1954. Hood spent much of his time coaching high school football and believed strongly that football contributed greatly to positive growth in young people.
