Athletics and academics go hand in hand for Western Mustangs football captain and fourth-year medical sciences student Jackson Findlay.
Recently named one of Canada’s Top 8 Academic All-Canadians, recognizing student-athletes excelling in sport, academics and community service, Findlay has dual aspirations: becoming a paediatric oncologist and a professional football player.
Named 2024 Ontario University Athletics Outstanding Stand-Up Defensive Player of the Year and team MVP in 2023 and 2024, he led the Mustangs to multiple championships, including a 2021 Vanier Cup victory, before being picked up by the B.C. Lions in the second round of the 2025 CFL draft. A three-time Academic All-Canadian, he received Western’s 2025 G. Howard Ferguson Award for excellence in athletics, academics and campus life.
“Jackson is an outstanding football player; but what really makes him exceptional and what makes us most proud is how much he cares about his teammates and about making the world a better place,” says Christine Stapleton, Western’s director of sports and recreation.
Off the field, Findlay mentors young athletes, coaches women’s football and volunteers with organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club.
“Sport is an amazing thing that brings people together—all ages, all backgrounds. Through my volunteering, I want to show young kids they can do anything they put their minds to,” says Findlay.
