Growing up in Hamilton as a 6 ft 2 in, 298 lb man, McMaster graduate Fabio Filice knew he was big. Very big.

Filice's athletic potential was obvious, but he had another, hidden talent: mathematics. Juggling both academics and athletics proved to be an ongoing challenge throughout his young career.

During his undergraduate career at McMaster, Filice balanced a math and statistics degree as well as an illustrious varsity football career, alongside Marauder greats Kyle Pyear and Jesse Lumsden.

Upon graduation in 2005, Filice was drafted into the CFL by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Realizing that he wanted much more than just a professional football career, Filice enrolled in the part-time MBA program at the DeGroote School of Business at the same time.

“The physical demands of playing professional football are high
and often players in my position [offensive linemen] only last a couple of years,” explained Filice. “I had a few schools giving me offers but DeGroote's MBA program just felt right. The program is so incredibly flexible with their classes and I knew DeGroote would give me the opportunity to start a new career once my time in the CFL ended.”

His CFL career eventually took him to the Grey Cup-winning Calgary Stampeders in 2008. Even then, Filice continued his part-time MBA at DeGroote.

“It was tough because I literally had no time off. But the experience in my undergrad, juggling varsity football and my classes, provided the perfect platform to be able to juggle the CFL and my MBA,” said Filice. “DeGroote taught me to be a total professional in all aspects of my life. The professors and the classes pushed me to achieve more.”

Five years after graduation, Filice is back at McMaster full-time finishing the last few accounting courses he needs to complete his specialized MBA. It has proven to be a successful homecoming for a loyal Hamiltonian: he has already secured employment at accounting firm Ernst and Young upon his graduation at the end of the summer.

Filice is humbled by his successes and feels that opportunity is available for anyone that is willing to work for it.

“I have given up a lot for some of the successes in my life, but I believe when honest hard work meets opportunity, great things can happen,” Filice said. “My hard work at DeGroote is starting to pay off and now I am able to start another chapter in my life.”

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