Squally Canada aims to inspire with football and music

Squally Canada had one of the most daunting tasks entering his junior season last year: follow up a record-breaking senior season from BYU’s all-time leading rusher, Jamaal Williams. Canada opened the 2017 campaign with 98 rushing yards and a touchdown against Portland State before the Cougars went on a five-game losing streak during which Canada totaled just 107 yards and no touchdowns.

The Cougars broke their losing streaking against San Jose State and Canada’s numbers slowly began to climb again, including an 84-yard, one touchdown game at Fresno State. The very next week, Canada peaked in a 213-yard performance at UNLV in November that ranks No. 10 among all-time single-game rushing performances at BYU. He then finished the season on a high note with 113 yards and two touchdowns in BYU’s season-finale win against Hawaii

In total, Canada was BYU’s leading rusher on the year, totaling 120 carries for 710 yards and six touchdowns. For his career, Canada has 235 carries for 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“I didn’t want there to be any slack left from Jamaal,” Canada said. “His number is 21 and mine is 22: one-two punch.”

Canada finds himself in prime position to follow his fellow Californian’s footsteps in using a standout senior season at BYU in 2018 as a springboard to reach his goal of the NFL.

He enters this season as a veteran starter on offense, a far cry from the transfer student that arrived at BYU in 2015 following an injury-riddled redshirt year at Washington State. Running backs coach AJ Steward explained that Canada emerged as the leader among the position group early in fall camp.

“Not only am I impressed with what he’s done physically, but mentally he’s developed as a player,” Steward said. “He’s the oldest guy in our group as far as playing years and I’m very pleased with his maturity and his want for our team to be successful.”

When head coach Kalani Sitake began his search for a new offensive staff last year he made sure to hire coaches who understood the run game. He believes the new scheme and Steward are a great fit for Canada.

“I think it’s good timing for him,” Sitake said. “I think he’s really responding well to AJ Steward as a running backs coach and this offense suits him and his skills a little more. He’s a downhill runner and he has great speed and a good feel for the game.”

Sitake also mentioned the impact Williams had on Canada as a mentor or “big brother,” as Canada called him, a role the senior is now trying to mimic with this year’s underclassmen. He can often be seen coaching his fellow running backs, and even sticks around long after practice has ended to get in extra reps and build chemistry among the position group.

“If I see something wrong I just try to correct it – it’s the right thing to do,” Canada said. “If I get the starting job and I get hurt, I don’t want the backup to be out there clueless.”

Freshman running back Lopini Katoa said he has learned a lot from Canada’s experience and appreciates how open Canada is in helping out the newcomers and preventing mistakes that have hurt the team in the past. Following an intense fall camp practice in the heat of the afternoon, Katoa was impressed when Canada offered to help give him additional guidance. Canada and Katoa removed their pads and continued to walk through plays on their own, with Canada explaining where to go and how to handle the ball with his freshman counterpart.

Canada’s selflessness and willingness to share his knowledge stem from lessons his father taught him. These traits are compounded by a strong desire to win games no matter the individual attention he does or doesn’t receive.

“My dad tells me, ‘If you have knowledge to share with somebody, share the knowledge. It’s not good to hold back any type of knowledge,” Canada said. “Even if it might come back and hurt me and one these guys ends up beating me or whatever, I’m not worried. The best man is going to play and that’s all that matters. As long as we win more than four games and do way better than last year. I want to win.”

Canada’s parents, Byron and Stacy, have always encouraged their son to be generous with what he’s been given and help those around him. Growing up in Milpitas, California, Canada was often surrounded by cousins and other relatives that his parents took in when drug abuse tore apart his extended family. Stacy recalled always having anywhere between 10 to 15 kids in her home, something that helped her own children learn a lesson on generosity they wouldn’t soon forget.

“You have to have a heart of giving,” Stacy explained. “Good comes back to you.”

This spirit of giving is something that defines Canada to this day as he plans to use football and his budding music career as a tool to help and inspire others, rather than just seek fame and riches.

“I want to give back to my parents and people that are less fortunate,” Canada said. He also hopes to become the first person in his family to get a college degree, something he values even more than success on the field.

Make no mistake, however, Canada’s one and only goal at the moment is to make it to the NFL, a childhood dream. Early on in his elementary education, Canada drew pictures of himself playing football and wrote on a homework assignment that his dream was to play professional football.

“Will Smith said he never had a Plan B because Plan B distracts from Plan A,” Canada said of his NFL goal.

From the beginning it was clear that Canada had the drive and motivation to reach the NFL, but the path he’s taken thus far has been in a style all his own.

“When everyone else wanted Jordans, he wanted PF Flyers,” his mother Stacy said on his choice of shoes. “He never got into trouble and played different than other kids.”

It was this desire to do things right and in his own way that allowed Canada’s parents to accept his decision to transfer schools from Washington State to BYU, despite not being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“As a man you make the best decisions for yourself and maybe God had other plans for him,” Byron said. “Once it worked at BYU we were all in, as far the Christian background, because he’s been raised in the church.”

His talent and aspirations on the field gave Canada an outlet that many of his close friends and relatives didn’t have. This became especially noticeable when tragedy struck the family last year with the passing of Canada’s cousin, Vinshay Bracy. Entering his junior year full of expectations, Canada used the adversity to push him even harder, releasing his frustration and pain out on the field during practices and games.

Canada still listens to his cousin’s mixtape before each game to honor him and wears a tattoo across his torso with Bracy’s rap moniker “ShadyBo.”

Now entering his fourth and final year of college football, Canada knows that he’ll have to leave everything out on the field because nothing is guaranteed after this season.

“I’m just trying to give it my all,” Canada said. “The NFL isn’t promised, football isn’t promised after this, so I’m just out here every play just making sure I don’t make any mistakes.”

Steward believes his veteran senior has what it takes to be a great running back and wants to help him maximize those talents and finish off his college career strong.

“He has one of the highest IQs of a running back that I’ve ever been around,” Steward said. “He has a knack to make it through tight spaces and great vision, so many things that you can’t coach. He puts the work in and he wants to be great. I want him to leave here knowing he’s given it his all.”

Squally Canada: Soundcloud Rapper

Off the field, running back Squally Canada is pursuing a rap career to show people his life outside of football and inspire youth and people in less fortunate situations.

“I want to be able to use football or music to inspire the younger generation and people that go through the same situations I did,” Canada said. “I want to be someone that kids can listen to and release their emotions.”

Canada currently has over 14,000 listens on SoundCloud, with his most popular track being “Stand Us,” the first track off his mixtape, On My Way. He cites Tupac and Kid Cudi as some of his favorite artists and biggest influences on his own music.

It’s hard to find time to record new songs with the busy schedule of a Division I athlete, but Canada said he tries to find time to sit down and write new lyrics when possible. Canada recently returned home to Milpitas during the offseason to shoot a music video entitled “Can’t Stand Us.” The video was released on YouTube on Sept. 6.

BYU teammate Chris Wilcox also works in the hip hop industry creating his own beats and plans to collaborate with Canada to create music in the future, though nothing has been released or announced as of yet.