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Larry Moko, The Hamilton Spectator, Sept 14, 2009
Nobody can accuse Burlington Braves head coach Craig Davoren of being out of touch with the game of football. At the age of 30 , he still plays competitively in the Northern Football Conference - an Ontario based senior tackle loop.
He starts at linebacker in the eight-team summer league with the Milton Marauders. Last month, Davoren had to make a tough decision. Either he could accompany the Braves to London for an Ontario Football Conference exhibition game against the Beefeaters, or travel to Sault Ste. Marie for Milton's NFC playoff game against the Steelers. "I didn't go to the Soo," Davoren said recently. "The Braves come first to me. Milton knows that. "I hate it to be that way. But once the Braves start, I'm kind of gone. "Marauders could have used the former NFC defensive MVP because they got thumped 59-0 by the Steelers in the semifinal. The previous week, Davoren made 10 tackles in leading the Marauders to a 28-14 victory over the Toronto Raiders.
Davoren was a three-time league all-star as a player with the Braves from 1998-01. And in 2008 he guided Burlington to an OFC championship - the club's first Canadian Bowl appearance since 1989. His Braves, with a lot of newcomers in the lineup, got off to a slow start this season, losing their first three starts. On Saturday, they travelled to St. Leonard, Que. to take on the Cougars as the teams reached the halfway point in the schedule. The Cougars prevailed, 25-13.
"It is unusual," Davoren says of his player-coach role in the two established leagues. "People who know me understand I've got a real passion for the game. "Said Davoren's friend and former Braves teammate John Franco Attardo: "He eats, sleeps and breathes football". According to Davoren, other coaches play touch football to stay active. But he prefers the hard-hitting variety. "It's the same amount of commitment ... about two times a week," Davoren said. "Yes, I could get hurt. But I've gone this long in my football career without a serious injury."
Married, with two children, Davoren played high-school football in Burlington for M.M. Robinson Rams and Notre Dame Fightin' Irish. Davoren believes the fact he still plays football helps him as a coach. "In my league (NFC), there are a few teams with guys that are 22 and under. Having played those guys in a game, they see me, respect me as a player, and want to come and play for me after the NFC season is done. "So, actually, it's a recruiting angle that no other coaches have. I use that to my advantage. It's good for networking, too. You make a lot of football friends."
Three assistant coaches with the Braves also play for the Marauders.
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