Thunderbirds veteran Jason Soriano plays both wide receiver and defensive back, scored three touchdowns in his highschool triple-A finals, and was also on the track and field team at UBC until 2024.
A proud Filipino athlete, Soriano was unselected in the 2025 CFL draft to the Thunderbirds' benefit, bringing back the offensive and defensive threat for his fifth and final season while completing his master's in kinesiology.
Soriano spoke with OB.SESSED about his wide range of athletic prowess, the 'Blake Nill mindset', shifting to DB from WR en route to a Hardy Cup, and more.
What came first, track and field or football?
Soriano: The first sport I got into really was track and field. I started doing that third-grade and I found, honestly, I was just naturally really good at it. I naturally like sprinting and so that came easy to me, track and field. And then I played football a year later in fourth grade.
It started with flag football, so I was naturally good at that, with my speed and everything. And then tackle football the year after. So it really was track, and then football, and then I did basketball after that growing up all of high school, but really it was track first.
Did you consider becoming a tri-sport university athlete with basketball as well?
Soriano: I was always more of a defensive guy. So coaches would put me on the other team's best point guard or the best ball handler... like my job was to full court press and kind of make his job more difficult. So basketball, I definitely relied a lot on my speed. If I was maybe a few inches taller I could be playing university level basketball, but a lot of 'what if's' in that situation. I did enjoy basketball, but never really thought about playing university level.
Did competing in track lend itself to your football career outside of running really fast?
Soriano: Football is more of a team sport. A lot of it is — I don't want to say relying on others, but other people definitely contribute to your wins and losses. But for track and field, it being more individual, I'd say I learned a lot, dealing with adversity and dealing with a lot of these situations that could affect you mentally. I learned how to deal with a lot of that by myself. You have your coach but for the most part you're dealing with a lot of these stressors and adversity by yourself when it when it comes to track and field.
Who were you most intrigued to team up with at UBC?
Soriano: From my high school, there was the Johnson twins. So Deshaun and Keijaun Johnson at the time, and then also Kaishaun Carter from [St. Thomas More Collegiate], same grad class as me. And then not even a couple weeks after my commitment, is when I saw guys like Garrett Rooker [and] Isaiah Knight coming in. And that's when I was like, okay, this is gonna be fun.
What has it been like playing under Blake Nill?
Soriano: He definitely knows how to win and winning is always at the top of his priorities. He'll do whatever it takes to win — whether that be getting us in shape or getting us mentally prepared, however that may look — he will get us ready to win. And he's not afraid to hurt some guy's feelings about it, if that makes sense; he's very blunt, but I love the intensity. I think it's what a lot of programs need. It sets the tone. He sets the tone for everything; he brings the intensity — the guys match it.
Have there been any instances where you perhaps weren't playing to Blake's standards and he let you know about it?
Soriano: There's been countless times [at] team meetings in front of 90 or 100 guys and we're watching film, and he's not afraid to call a guy out in front of the entire team. Chew him out, cuss him out, or whatever, but at the end of him doing that he always tells you how to improve, which is good. He brings intensity. He'll get mad at you for a bit. But he also is a coach, and he'll coach you up and he'll tell you how to fix it.
Vancouver native Jason Soriano is a rarity in U SPORTS, boasting seven career receiving touchdowns and two interceptions. Photo: Bob Frid/Thunderbirds
There's been times he's flipped tables at halftime. I don't want to get into the specifics, [but] he's flipped at halftime. When I was playing receiver especially, even when it's pouring rain, [or] freezing cold, he doesn't care. If you don't do your job and for us it was catching balls, if you don't catch the ball in negative 20 degree weather, he'll cuss you out. He'll do anything.
How are you able to play on both sides of the ball?
Soriano: It's similar to that Blake Nill mindset I've always had. Even growing up; high school, peewee football, I've always had the mentality that I'm going to do whatever it takes to help the team win. And for me, like I said before, a lot of stuff came naturally, like my speed. A lot of the aspects in games of football come to me naturally.
Like playing DB, it's just not letting the guy in-front of me catch the ball. It's as simple as that. And when it comes down to it I know I can make plays at receiver. I can make plays at DB. I can make plays on special teams, wherever. But if coach Nill calls my number to do anything, any task, I'm going to do what it takes to win. I'm going to do everything in my power to make that happen.
How difficult was your first playoff experiences against Saskatchewan in 2021?
Soriano: Saskatchewan my first year [was] filled with big fourth-fifth year guys and it was — I don't want to say shocking because I knew what I was getting into, but it was new. The size and physicality of U SPORTS football was a lot, it was all new. But I definitely knew it was something that I could handle. I knew that it was different but I was definitely prepared.
How would you describe getting some revenge over Saskatchewan at the 2023 Hardy Cup and how did you end up playing DB that season?
Soriano: I didn't realize how blessed and fortunate I was to play with so many now NFL guys and CFL guys all on one team. Starting out, I think the first four weeks we were 4-0, number one offence in the country, number one in yards per game, all that. At the bye week is when I switched to DB. That's when Nill came up to me and asked, and I said yes, no hesitation. I wasn't doing bad by any means at receiver, I was doing my job, but I just know that I can impact the game in a lot more ways than just being the second or third option at receiver.
Soriano competed in both the long jump — posting jumps over seven metres — and 100 metre event — posting sub-11-second times — for the Thunderbirds track and field team. Photo: Bob Frid/Thunderbirds
And then that Hardy Cup game was just something special. I'm definitely going to remember that 2023 season forever because it was the furthest we made it. Obviously making it to the Vanier Cup and also playing both sides of the ball, — like who else can say that they played both sides of the ball in university football? Especially making it to the national championship. That was definitely a special moment for me, a special season for me as a whole.
What are the differences playing DB with Canadian rules as opposed to American that you played with at Vancouver College?
Soriano: There's a few niche little things like the Canadian field's a little bit bigger... get one more guy on the offence and defensive side. Plus the waggle with the run ups — the slot receivers have the line. There's a few adjustments I had to make, but physically, I was prepared. I knew that I could cover and I could make all these plays at DB.
How much pressure were you under in Kingston at the Vanier Cup in 2023 against Montreal?
Soriano: It's definitely the biggest game I've ever played in my life. And, especially seeing these Quebec teams, the RSEQ teams, they're a lot bigger, a lot older than some of these Canada West or AUS teams. So it was the biggest game when it comes to magnitude, like Vanier Cup national championship, but also the toughest game when it comes down to competition. Unfortunately we didn't come away with it, but it was still overall a really fun experience and a really fun season.
What led to the defensive collapse in 2024's semifinals against the Huskies?
Soriano: Immediately we knew it was going to be a difficult game because we were missing Isaiah Knight and our starting D[efensive] end Aidan Bertuzzi. So we were missing arguably our top guy on offence and arguably a top guy on our D line. So it was definitely going to be a challenge from the get go.
We had a good lead on them and then we just couldn't finish the game. We had a double digit lead late in the fourth quarter and then pretty much everything that could go right for the Huskies, went right. And pretty much everything that could go wrong for us went wrong in the last three minutes.
So I'd say it's kind of a blessing in disguise me being able to get another season, because a lot of the young guys that had the opportunity to play in this game... it's definitely a learning experience for them when it comes to learning how these Canada West football games go.
Because especially in the Canada West, like if you look at the OUA it's primarily run by teams like Western and maybe Laurier and all the other teams are kind of meh, but Canada West — any team can beat any team, so the game's never over until zeros are on the clock. Having a double digit lead on a team like Saskatchewan, you're never safe, no matter how big the lead you have in Canada West. I'm excited for this season and for the guys that had to experience that for us to get revenge.
Do you have an extra chip on your shoulder this season after being passed over in the CFL draft?
Soriano: Without a doubt, 100 per-cent. I feel like — because I didn't get a combine invite but I was preparing for my pro day, so just physically getting prepared for stuff like that — I'd say I'm the biggest, fastest and as strong as I've been in my career right now. So I'm hyped up to see what not only myself, but also these other returning seniors like what this group can do for this this last season here.
Do you think you're a better player than some of the guys that got drafted?
Soriano: I'm not gonna name names but yeah, not even just this year's draft, but drafts from before, like, I'd see guys get combine invites... I'd see guys that I played against. For years I've seen guys get picked up and I just think in the back of my head, like, 'oh, I scored a touchdown on you.' Without a doubt I know I can compete with with guys getting picked up in the CFL, but what can I do? There isn't much I can do about it.
How do you feel about Drew Viotto entering the fold at QB?
Soriano: Obviously very excited, any recruit we get we take it as someone that can help us [and] help the program. We actually threw with him a couple days ago. So he's in town right now and he's coming to the on-field sessions, and I will say our QB room's looking scary.
With offensive coordinator Stevenson Bone leaving for Alberta and running back Isaiah Knight sticking on the Elks' practice roster, Blake Nill is happy to have Jason Soriano back to provide some continuity. Photo: Rich Lam/Thunderbirds
I know Garrett [Rooker]'s leaving, but I don't think we're gonna miss a beat, honestly, on that side of the ball. I know Derek [Engel]'s ready to go — he's been backing up here all these years but we see this as an opportunity for someone to help the program, potentially.
After so many big games against Saskatchewan, are they your biggest personal rival?
Soriano: Especially this time around because Saskatchewan [was] a team that we beat pretty soundly earlier in the season. So we know we can beat them. We know that we can hang with their top guys and for them to — especially the way they beat us, for them to make this miraculous comeback in the last few minutes — we haven't forgot about that. I'll just say this, we haven't forgot about it and we're definitely looking to take the Canada West title this year. Take it back.
Huskies, they've definitely beat us most when it matters in the playoffs. They've beat us in the playoffs three times now. They're just overall a tough team to play against in general because a lot of them are from Saskatchewan, they grew up together, they've been playing together their whole lives, and so that culture they have as a team... it's tough. It's tough to play against.
How are you approaching your final season of eligibility?
Soriano: I think the mindset I'm coming into this season [with] is I'm gonna work my ass off and I'm going to work my hardest every single day when it comes to any aspect of football... my nutrition, my training, my sleep, my school, whatever... I'll leave working my hardest. But I'm also coming in with this mindset, like I'm going to control what I can control, and I'm not going to be too down on myself if stuff doesn't go my way.
Because I'm going to take what I've learned these last four football seasons — I have all the tools now, I've experienced everything when it comes to Canada West football. So I'm coming in like, hey, I want to work really, really hard. But also, like, if stuff doesn't go my way it's okay.
The Thunderbirds take on the aforementioned Saskatchewan Huskies in exhibition action at Griffiths Stadium on Aug. 20.