Noel Prefontaine
Encyclopedia
Noel Prefontaine is a professional Canadian football
punter
/ kicker
with the Toronto Argonauts
of the Canadian Football League
.
mother at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
in California
. His father was born and raised in Verdun, Quebec and Noel lived with his grandmother in Verdun as a child, which enables him to be considered a non-import for CFL purposes. He returned to the United States and attended El Camino High School
in San Diego County, California
.
Prefontaine played baseball
, soccer, and played offensive tackle in American football
as a child and continually trained himself to improve as an athlete and at high school, he played quarterback as well as punting and placekicking. He was named San Diego Tribune Athlete of the Year for North County as a senior
and led El Camino High School to a 22–2 record and a CIF Championship as their starting quarterback.
Prefontaine hoped to play quarterback in college football
but could only obtain a scholarship as a punter at California State University, Fullerton
. His punting average his first year led the state but the football program folded at the end of the season. Prefontaine received offers to play for multiple college football teams including Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia, LSU, and Texas but chose to go to Arizona State University
because it was close to his family and friends. He was unhappy there, however, and left to go to San Diego State University
. After a required redshirt
year because of his transfer, he was named All-Conference as a punter in his junior year and first-team All-American as a punter in his senior year.
and spent the next ten seasons with them before getting traded to the Edmonton Eskimos
on May 31, 2008 for a first round pick in the 2009 CFL Draft
and a conditional draft pick in 2010. On October 12, 2010, Prefontaine was traded back to the Argonauts in exchange for defensive tackle Étienne Légaré
and the negotiation rights to defensive back Damaso Munoz.
with the Los Angeles Xtreme
as their punter/kicker. He went on to play in the one and only XFL championship game on April 21, 2001 with the Xtreme, with his team ultimately winning the championship.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
/ kicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
Early years
Prefontaine was born to a Canadian father and a VietnameseVietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
mother at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His father was born and raised in Verdun, Quebec and Noel lived with his grandmother in Verdun as a child, which enables him to be considered a non-import for CFL purposes. He returned to the United States and attended El Camino High School
El Camino High School (Oceanside)
El Camino High School is one of two high schools of the Oceanside Unified School District, located at 400 Rancho Del Oro Drive in Oceanside, California. Declared a California Distinguished School in the early 2000s, it was originally named "Oceanside High School East", and officially became El...
in San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
.
Prefontaine played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, soccer, and played offensive tackle in American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
as a child and continually trained himself to improve as an athlete and at high school, he played quarterback as well as punting and placekicking. He was named San Diego Tribune Athlete of the Year for North County as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
and led El Camino High School to a 22–2 record and a CIF Championship as their starting quarterback.
Prefontaine hoped to play quarterback in college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
but could only obtain a scholarship as a punter at California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
. His punting average his first year led the state but the football program folded at the end of the season. Prefontaine received offers to play for multiple college football teams including Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia, LSU, and Texas but chose to go to Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
because it was close to his family and friends. He was unhappy there, however, and left to go to San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
. After a required redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
year because of his transfer, he was named All-Conference as a punter in his junior year and first-team All-American as a punter in his senior year.
CFL
Prefontaine began his CFL career in 1998 with the Toronto ArgonautsToronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
and spent the next ten seasons with them before getting traded to the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
on May 31, 2008 for a first round pick in the 2009 CFL Draft
2009 CFL Draft
The 2009 CFL Draft took place on May 2, 2009. 48 players were chosen from among 774 eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA...
and a conditional draft pick in 2010. On October 12, 2010, Prefontaine was traded back to the Argonauts in exchange for defensive tackle Étienne Légaré
Étienne Légaré
Étienne Légaré is a professional Canadian football defensive tackle for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in the first round of the 2009 CFL Draft. He played CIS football for the Laval Rouge et Or...
and the negotiation rights to defensive back Damaso Munoz.
XFL
In 2001, Prefontaine also played in the XFLXFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
with the Los Angeles Xtreme
Los Angeles Xtreme
The Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. The team played its home games in the Los Angeles...
as their punter/kicker. He went on to play in the one and only XFL championship game on April 21, 2001 with the Xtreme, with his team ultimately winning the championship.