Ultimate NL Player Profile – Jeff Summers
This is a new communications piece where we profile a member of the NL Ultimate community to learn something about one of our members off the field.
Ultimate regulars in Newfoundland know Jeff Summers as a hard-nosed competitor who’s often on his third step before younger defenders make their first, but few know him as the seasoned prosecutor about to take on one of the biggest white-collar criminal trials in the province’s history.
Summers has been playing since 2011, when he followed friends like Justin Frampton and Paul Doucet into the sport.
Off the field he’s a lawyer with the provincial department of justice, tasked with a wide variety of criminal cases.
Next year Summers will be in court for the fraud trial stemming from the $113-million bankruptcy of Hickman Equipment, the largest bankruptcy in Newfoundland and Labrador history.
The case has been a 15-year ordeal, and only wound up back on Summers’s desk when the Supreme Court of Canada overturned an acquittal and sent it back for a new trial.
Summers is limited in what he can say about the case, but did talk about his passion for law.
“What I love about being a prosecutor is that I’m not in some ivory tower walled off from the world. I have the opportunity to meet with people from all walks of life, whether they are the accused or witnesses, police officers or other lawyers.”
Summers was raised by a laywer, but he chose law school mostly to follow his wife, now a criminal defence lawyer.
“It seemed like a better career at the time than becoming an adjunct professor of German,” he said.
“Plus people told me I like arguing.”
Older players may remember such arguing during Summers’s days on the Honey Badgers. He’s less combustible on the field today, instead channelling his competitiveness into playing at a higher level.
Summers credits the Men’s Avalon Ultimate League (MAUL) with motivating him to play more competitive ultimate. This summer, he travelled to the No Borders tournament and the open CUC series with Regiment.
“We took a lot of bigger, more established teams by surprise,” he said.
The 36-year-old Summers makes up for an admitted lack of height and athleticism by playing tight, aggressive defence, and making quick cuts immediately after throws. He says his strengths are anticipating where to cut to get open and a willingness to try any throw.
He said he’s incorporating plyometrics into workouts to try and keep up with younger players. He’s also cut back on his habit of travelling by picking up his pivot foot (unlike your author, who often travels by dragging his toe).
Summers said early ultimate organizers like Suzy Stever and Keith Kreiger helped establish a strong culture in St. John’s, with a bright future.
“We are lucky to have such an organizational base here in St John’s that we as players can play ultimate year round at any competition level, which is not the case in a lot of places in Canada with even larger populations” he said.
“We need to keep the youth development going and to keep our travelling teams going to as many tournaments as possible.
Jeff’s Warm-up Mixtape
1. “So Whatcha Want” The Beastie Boys
2. “Award Tour” A Tribe Called Quest
3. “The Shade” Metric
4. “Up All Night” Beck
5. “Keep You On My Side” CHVRCHES
6. “The Trooper” Iron Maiden
7. “Little Girl” Death From Above 1979
Start Plan
8. “Hell Bent for Leather” Judas Priest
9. “Bulls on Parade” Rage Against the Machine
10. “The Seed (2.0)” The Roots
11. “Sweet Disposition” The Temper Trap
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