Vipers football team adds Kilam to board

By Dale Woodard on July 7, 2021.

The Lethbridge Vipers football team added some local talent to their ranks.

As the team continues to work toward their goal of joining the Canadian Junior Football League in 2022, the Vipers announced Tuesday the addition of Canadian Football League assistant head coach and Lethbridge native coach Mark Kilam to the team’s board of directors.

Kilam is entering his 17th season with the Calgary Stampeders and is his second season as the team’s assistant head coach.

He graduated from LCI in 1997 and went on to play linebacker for the University of Alberta from 1997Ð2001.

Before joining the Stampeders, Kilam coached on the defensive staff of the Southern Alberta All-Star Team in the Provincial Senior Bowl from 2003-05 and also coached on the defensive staff with the Cochrane Cobras from 2002-05, going undefeated and winning three provincial championships.

Kilam brings CJFL experience to the gridiron as well, having worked with the Victoria Rebels, and the Calgary Colts.

“My passion for football started when I played both minor football and high school football growing up in Lethbridge” said Kilam in a statement.

“I am looking forward to using that passion and my 16-plus years experience in the CFL, to help grow the game and establish the Vipers as Lethbridge’s very own CJFL team.”

Last month, the Vipers announced they had added two-time Grey Cup champion and four-time CFL sack leader Charleston Hughes to their team.

Hughes spent the last two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and signed with the Toronto Argonauts earlier this year.

Vipers founder Anthony Parker said Hughes will help the team in supporting Indigenous youth in southern Alberta.

“He’s very big on that, himself. So that was something he was very proud of and something he was happy to hear. There is a lot of Indigenous population in southern Alberta, so that was one thing we’re really trying to push.”

In the meantime, the Vipers continue to raise funds and collect letters of intent as they strive to reach their goal of $100,000 by August, which will allow them to become an approved franchise and begin their recruiting process this upcoming high school football season.

According to the Vipers Facebook page, the team had raised $57,000 of the $100,000 as of Tuesday.

Those looking to make a donation can contact Parker at anthonyparker81@gmail.com.

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