This week, Bisons defensive end Gavin Parkins is in Waterloo, ON alongside teammate Sean Rowe for the East-West Bowl Showcase. An annual event, the East-West Bowl brings together the top 107 Canadian university football players eligible for the 2027 CFL Draft as they look to showcase their skills to coaches, general managers, and personnel from the Canadian Football League. The week culminates with the game on Saturday, May 9.
 
Perkins' East-West Bowl selection is a testament to his work ethic and persistence on and off the football field. The longest-tenured member on the Bisons football roster, he's faced numerous obstacles during his U SPORTS journey but hasn't let anything get in the way of his end goal.
 
"I never would have thought I would be in this position five years ago, ten years ago," he said assuredly.
 
"It's just a matter of taking every opportunity that's in front of you. That's really what it is. Don't say no. Life's short. Just take every opportunity that you get, and do it to the max. Doors will open."

The qualities Perkins embodies were learned from those in his close circle. From his mom Kerri, he was taught the importance of dedication and determination, committing to something and following through.
 
From his late father Darren, he learned to stand up for himself, embracing challenges with a fearless tenacity and grit.
 
"My mom raised me. She took on a whole bunch of different certifications and degrees to stay solidified," Perkins said of his mom, a teacher who was a single parent to two children.
 
"My mom worked her ass off to give me and my sister everything we needed. She did all it by herself, which was super cool."
 
"Lots of people see lots of my dad in me. Qualities like being protective, assertive, aggressive if you will," Perkins added of Darren, who passed away in October of 2024. "I try to apply that to football. That's where I bring it in.


'I wasn't going to take no for an answer'
Growing up, football wasn't the top priority for Perkins. Instead, the Thunder Bay, ON native focused on hockey, a journey closely aligned with his dad.
 
Standing at 6'4", Gavin shone as a goaltender, while 6'3" Darren was a defenceman. The former still plays the sport to this day, winning a rec hockey league championship in Winnipeg this past year, while the latter played in the WHL for five years, including an appearance in the 1993 Memorial Cup with Swift Current. He also had stints in the AHL and ECHL, with Springfield and Hampton Roads, respectively.
 
"[Darren] played with Jason Spezza from the Ottawa Senators. He played with some big names. I have all of his hockey cards. Half of them are of him just rolling up the sleeves. He was a big guy, a big enforcer, a defenceman," smiled Gavin.
 
"I never got to watch him play hockey, but just the hockey cards and reading up on him, he was a force to be reckoned with out there."
 

Being in net, Gavin didn't have the same opportunities his dad did to be an enforcer. And hockey ultimately wasn't what got him to the next level in his athletic journey. Instead, it was the gridiron that got him to where he is today.
 
Gavin's step-dad Terry had a huge impact in his decision to play football. A high school football coach, he convinced Kerri to let her son play the sport in grade seven, and by grade nine he was the starting quarterback at the junior varsity level for the Hammarskjold Vikings.
 
Then, in grade 11, he beat out the team's veteran starter for QB1 duties, helping lead Hammarskjold to the varsity championship in back-to-back seasons.
 
"Initially I tried out as a tight end. I did a season as tight end and I loved it, but I played baseball my whole life too, so I had a natural arm," Perkins reflected.
 
"Once I learned how to throw a football, my stepdad's very good friend, who was the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, he started teaching me the ways."
 
A raw talent, the Manitoba Bisons saw something in Perkins, who committed to the program in 2019. For three years, he put in work to improve, but he was also battling for reps at a position that was one of the deepest of any team in the country.
 
In the 2021 season for example, Perkins was behind Des Catellier – the school's all-time leader in passing yards – along with eventual Canada West Player of the Year Jackson Tachinski, who broke the school record for rushing touchdowns and rushing yards by a quarterback. Sawyer Thiessen, who later started games for Manitoba, was also on the roster, as was Jordan Hanslip, another veteran within the program and a long-time pivot.
 
With all that being said, Perkins chose to make the shift to defensive line in 2022, determined to make an impact and stay committed to the team that had taken a chance on him.
 
"I don't want to lose this team. I love this team so much. I thought for sure, I have the athletic capabilities to be a benefit on the field, so I wasn't going to take no for an answer. I talked to coach Shaq and I brought up [switching to defensive line]," he said.
 
"I didn't talk to any coaches about it, I just went to [equipment manager] Denise [Gill] and said I'd like this jersey in black today. I went out on the field and nobody really said anything. I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing."


'I knew I could still be an asset here'
It hasn't come easy for the converted defensive end. Much like his journey as a pivot, had a lot of work to do to get on the field with the Herd.
 
Over the years, he's learned the tricks of the trade from a loaded defensive rotation that's included CFL Draft picks Brock Gowanlock, Collin Kornelson and Cole Adamson. Veterans Jack Shaffer and Tristan Francis have also been instrumental in helping him understand what's needed to be successful.
 
"I had to get yelled at quite a bit by [defensive coordinator and now head coach] Coach [Stan] Pierre because I didn't know the system," chuckled Perkins. "But once I started putting things together, it re-ignited the flame for the game for me."
 

On September 16, 2022, Perkins took his opportunity, and seized it. But it didn't come on the defensive line. Instead, it was special teams where he made his mark.
 
With injuries to the team's kickoff and punt teams, Perkins was inserted into the 12-man group, at home against UBC and he made the most of it.
 
Perkins recorded two bone-jarring tackles at the field guard position on punt cover, bringing the fans and the sideline to their feet. He's been a constant on both units ever since, adding another impactful tackle the following week against Calgary as part of the goon squad.
 
"That was electric. It was the best feeling in the world to put on the jersey and do something for the boys. It was amazing," he beamed.
 
"It was hard to be told no at quarterback, but at the same time I knew I could still be an asset here. I did what I could to be on the field."
 

Over the last three years, Perkins – who's earned the nickname of The Missile for his ability to fly downfield on special teams and make a play – has asserted himself as one of the best kick cover players in the Canada West. Overall since 2022, Perkins has recorded 19 tackles, a significant amount of which have come on punt and kickoff.
 
It's largely for this reason that he's been given a shot at the East West Bowl, as CFL teams are always looking for aggressive, fearless playmakers to suit up on special teams. It makes up a key third of any football game, and it's a role Perkins embraces.
 
"It's not all about the yardages and how long the returns were. It's about setting the tone. Special teams, it's different. We want to strike fear into the opponent so they don't want to return that ball," said the veteran, who plays four to the boundary on kickoff and boundary tackle on punt.
 
"We want the league to feel that. We want to have the meanest special teams unit here, and I think we've done a pretty good job at that. I want to keep the force on the other teams in the conference."


'He lived life to the fullest'
Switching positions isn't the only challenge Perkins has faced in his U SPORTS journey. He missed all of the 2024 season after a season-ending injury that required surgery. Fielding a squib kick against Alberta in week seven of the 2023 season, he was taken down awkwardly, suffering a lower body injury that was re-aggravated shortly after.
 
His father also passed away in October of 2024, so there was a lot going on at the time.
 
An arduous rehab journey and the daily grind of life tested his mental fortitude, but he didn't give up, choosing to see the positive in the situation.
 
"Rehab was hell. I've never done so many front squats in my life. But you have to do what you have to do if you love it that much. There's no way around it," he said.
 
"The injury put me down more than any position change. You're almost helpless. There's nothing you can do about it except wait. Sitting on the sidelines watching everyone play ball and have fun, it hurt, but it was a good hurt. You need that every once in a while. Life has to bite you for you to get your revenge."
 
Perkins returned to the field last season, recorded a career-high 11 tackles, as well as his first sack against Calgary in week seven. Two weeks later, he blocked a punt in the playoffs against Regina, which was "one of the best moments" in his career."
 
It was a huge "get-back" year for the long-time Bison, who carried a reminder of his dad with him every step of the way.
 
In week six against UBC – exactly one year after his passing – his wore Darren's old hockey jersey for walk-ins, keeping the No. 6 in his locker ahead of the game.
 
"My dad worked his ass off. I took pride in that. I got that jersey, and I got all his championship rings and stuff like that inherited. It's super meaningful for me to wear that jersey. He lived life to the fullest."
 

Perkins knows his dad will be smiling from above, watching him shine on the field. This week in Waterloo serves as the next step, as he goes up against some of the top talent U SPORTS has to offer.
 
"I'm excited to step up and go against all of these selected players. I'm taking this seriously. If I can compete with these guys, I can compete against anybody. I feel like I'm in my prime. I feel very good. I've never been this strong. I'm excited to put it all on display against the nation."