Gearing up for the Colts

Mario Prusina

Times Editor

 

Later this fall, Strathmore High School graduate Kyron Lloyd will suit up for his third football team in three season. Remarkably, he earned a spot on each squad by playing a different position.

The 2010 high school graduate played quarterback for the Strathmore Spartans for three years, before joining the University of Alberta Golden Bears last fall, making the team as a slotback.

However, the opportunity to play closer to home and earn a college education was all the incentive Lloyd needed to switch teams, jumping from the Golden Bears to the Calgary Colts of the Canadian Junior Football League.

After evaluating the depth charts, Lloyd made the decision to tryout for the team as a running back prior to the spring camp last month. Not surprisingly, the athletic football player earned a spot on the squad.

“When I played for Strathmore, I was more of a running quarterback – so I liked to scramble a lot,” said Lloyd. “I brought that to U of A too – the coach said whenever I get the ball, his favourite part of watching me run was my finish, so I’ve always had a running back style. 

“It is easier to pickup the receiver position (if you played quarterback) because you know where to be, how to run the routes and how you want (the ball). So it was a pretty easy transition going to slotback.”

According to Lloyd, he had very successful rookie season, highlighted by breaking the school record for the 40-yard dash, beating the old record of 4.73 seconds with a remarkable 4.60 outing. 

While most rookies don’t usually get to dress in regular season games in their first year, Lloyd had the opportunity to hit the field for one game. Not only did he dress, but he even took part in a play.

This year, he hopes to make a bigger splash with the Colts. 

“I want to travel with the team,” said Lloyd. “I was talking to guys with the Colts in the locker room and stuff and they said that out of all the rookies from last season, only one ended up travelling (with the team), just like U of A. I hope to kind of change that and be the only (rookie) travelling.

“It makes me want to get on the football field (right now). I feel like when I’m (not on the field) that I’m wasting my time. I want to go play football and earn that spot already.”

The multi-athletic 18-year-old, who has also played basketball, hockey, track, badminton and baseball, plans to take the Business program at SAIT later this fall. His eventual goal is to transfer to the University of Calgary in two years to earn his degree. At that time, he hopes to tryout for the University of Calgary Dinos. 

However, Lloyd is not looking too far ahead – he is focused on present.

And the present is the Calgary Colts.