Every day at University of Saskatchewan Huskies football practice, the first one consistently on the field at Griffiths Stadium is David Solie.
In the midst of his fifth year with the program, he’s made a habit of spending half an hour alone with a football and kicking tee well before any of his teammates join him.
“Everybody else is in meetings,” said Solie. “What am I going to do? I’m going to make myself better.”
Since joining the Huskies in 2017, the Saskatoon product has been a key member of the program’s special teams group and one of the top kickers in Canada West.
However, it’s a ride with the Huskies that will be coming to a close in just a matter of months.
“The more you think about the future, the less time you spend embracing the moment,” said Solie. “Just coming up every day, showing up with a smile on my face and taking every day like it could be your last. I could have went out there and gotten hurt for a play, so you just take it day by day and enjoy every moment that you’re out here.”
Named a Canada West all-star last season, Solie will be graduating from the program after serving double-duty as both place kicker and punter for more than half a decade.
Over that time, Huskies head coach Scott Flory has seen the recruit out of Holy Cross High School become a ‘rock’ of the team’s veteran core.
Despite an up-and-down start to his senior season, Solie came alive in the Huskies’ most recent game against the UBC Thunderbirds going 4-for-5 on the night with a career-long 50-yard field goal en route to being named Canada West special teams player of the week.
Earlier this spring, Solie jumped at the opportunity to join Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp and got the chance to kick alongside CFL veteran Brett Lauther.
It was an experience that was made even more special, considering his family connections to the Roughriders organization.
“My grandpa did stats for the Riders and he was big on the board there as well,” said Solie. “He was actually really good friends with George Reed. He had him over for dinner quite a few times, close with their family.”
“So putting on the green and white, whether it was Brett Lauther there or not, it was a surreal moment for me.”
Solie’s path hasn’t always been smooth sailing however, as Lauther left the Huskies ahead of the 2018 season while he focused on his mental health.
Following a season with the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops, he rejoined the team and has led the special teams unit ever since crediting the support of his coaches and teammates.
“These are 95 of my closest friends,” said Solie. “In the workplace you might hang out with your friends every once in a while, but my work right now is school and football. So getting to come to work and being with those 95 good guys, you really can’t put words to it. It’s a great experience for me.”
After back-to-back appearances in the Vanier Cup, Solie’s senior campaign is another big one looking to guide the Huskies back to the national championship.
That drive is evident according to Flory, seeing his kicking and punting work firsthand along with a desire to step up as one of the team’s leaders.
“He’s doing everything that we ask him to do and he’s a great young man,” said Flory. “He’s a leader here on this football team and we’re really proud of him. I know he wants to make his fifth year a meaningful one and he’s doing that.”
Solie and the Huskies will look to move to 5-1 on the Canada West season Saturday afternoon in Edmonton, facing the University of Alberta Golden Bears for the first time since suffering a 26-22 loss to Alberta on Sept. 15.