David Jones

FLORIDA TODAY

After playing at Palm Bay High School and Ole Miss, Cory Philpot had a shot to play for the Denver Broncos in the NFL, but his rejection turned out to send him on a path that he's really enjoyed and could have an even bigger influence on the sport he loves.

"(Denver) said I was too small,'' he said. "At that time they were taking bigger backs. ... I just didn't work out. But I was able to come up here to Vancouver, which was a great thing. I was able to shine and break a lot of records here in a city that recognizes talent and everything that someone has done.''

The city is one of the most diverse and artistic areas in Canada. Locals meet daily on the beach to watch the sunset. Boats take you from the main downtown area to an island area. The park rivals most in the U.S. The natives are as friendly as anywhere in the world and, maybe the biggest secret nobody realizes, they are starting to take a real liking to American style football.

Philpot played in the CFL and won a title there. He set numerous rushing marks and is to Vancouver what Emmitt Smith is to Dallas. He's extremely popular in the city and doors open to whatever he really wants to do.

"Other than the rain we get, like in Seattle, it is a beautiful place to live,'' Philpot said. "I've made a home here.''

He used his influence to start a youth program where he helps kids learn to play football, and they will start traveling across Canada and the U.S. in the near future. It costs $3,000 or more for kids to play in a lot of organized sports in some Canadian cities. Tryout camps can be $500 to make a team. Philpot started his own program to help those who can't afford such astronomical fees. Kids pay $40 or less to try out for a football team in his organization, and he's come up with sponsors to pay for expenses and equipment instead of placing the burden on parents. That means a lot more talent is getting the chance to grow.

"I'm able to get kids brand new gear and they are able to go out and showcase themselves and that's what it is all about,'' he said.

Colleges in the U.S. are already starting to take notice of the players Philpot is helping to develop. They are 14 or 15 now, with a big expansion coming soon to age groups from 12 to 17. Two of the players he's helping that figure to be very successul in the U.S. are his twin sons, one a running back and the other a wide receiver.

"'You'll probably hear down South somewhere about them playing for a university very shortly,'' Philpot said. "They have turned the level up. I thought I was pretty good growing up. Both of my boys are very talented. They are gifted and they are definitely making a name for themselves.''

Yes, Ole Miss already has its eye on both, along with some other schools.

"I've got a feeling Ole Miss and someone down in Florida will be looking at them pretty seriously,'' Philpot said with a laugh.

He's also thinking about getting into coaching, possibly on the CFL level, in a few years. His kids, of course, are the priority right now, along with developing his youth program.

"It's all timing,'' he said. "The door is definitely open.''

His program plays Canadian rules for games held in Canada, but American rules will apply when they play in the U.S. All the high schools in Vancouver play by American rules. With the growing interest, thanks to Philpot and several other former CFL stars, Canada figures to very soon become a recruiting hot bed for U.S. colleges in football.

"(Interest from American colleges) is starting to pick up now,'' said Philpot, who has his own pub and night club in Vancouver. "What I'm hearing now, with this program I'm starting, a lot of kids are getting recognized in the U.S. by colleges and universities. They are getting looked at right now, so by the time they get out of high school ... there are a lot of these kids now that are leaving before high school to play in the U.S. because the schools are more competitive and bigger down there and there are more opportunities to get looked at.

"Football has never been huge in Canada because it's always been hockey,'' Philpot said. "Guys like myself and former players who have come up here and played and stayed and made a home here have now turned around and said, 'hey, why isn't football big here in Canada.'

"No one has had the drive and the patience here that we have. I am (changing the culture). You've got some guys who have been (promoting football) but it's all about the money. I'm here to say you don't need that much money to get football off the ground. ... There are a lot talented kids and these kids are getting missed.''

Contact Jones at djones@floridatoday.com or follow him on Twitter: @DaveJonesSports.