Combine showcases local footballers

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A group of CFL players led a “football combine” in Strathmore recently, to help young players get noticed by scouts from across Canada and the United States.

Bryn Roy, a seven-year CFL veteran, organizes an annual combine for young players to have a chance to show their abilities. This year’s Bryn Roy Football Combine was held at the Strathmore Motor Products Sports Centre on March 13.

Roy, who grew up outside of Carseland, was drafted 34th overall by the Montreal Alouettes in 2012, and had later stints with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos. Despite his success as a pro, starting his collegiate career was challenging.

“When you’re an Alberta kid, it’s tough getting recruited as a football player,” he said. “I know that first hand, because I ended up having to be a walk-on in college.”

One of the biggest challenges for local young players is getting recognized by scouts and coaches, as they are unfamiliar with the schools and coaches here, explained Roy. To help young players from rural Alberta get more attention, Roy started holding these annual combine events in 2018.

Each player is measured for official height and weight and standardized ability tests, including pro shuttle, vertical jump, broad jump and bench press. Tape of the testing and one-on-one drills between players is recorded for coaches and scouts to review. After the combine, a spreadsheet with each player’s data is sent to a list of over 50 schools each year.

“Coaches can look on film and watch these kids and see how they move in the drills, while cross-referencing their combine info,” said Roy.

Local coaches alongside a group of CFL players help at each combine. This year’s event featured quarterback Mitchell Gale and Mike Edem, a safety for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

With a high-level knowledge of the game, these players give the young athletes new perspectives on training, said Roy.

“When I was starting out, I was so green I didn’t know what I didn’t know,” he said.

Giving younger players opportunities to develop can help them reach higher levels of the sport. 

“There’s a lot of closed doors, but you just have to keep your eyes open,” he said. “It’s possible as long as you’re willing to put the work in.”

Danny Warrack, an assistant football coach at Strathmore High School, said the combine helps create information on players when it is lacking for many. 

“With COVID-19, which basically shut most of these kids’ seasons down, it creates some film on them and some numbers to go off,” he said. “With the internet, if you can play, they’ll find you easier now, but they still miss the odd guy.”

Roy tries to connect standout players with programs, added Warrack. 

“If he sees a player that could really take it far, especially, he’s going to push hard to get that player to a good school, whether it’s in Canada or the states,” he said.

The players at this year’s combine jumped (and sprinted) at the opportunity. 

“Basically, all we could do with the restrictions were one-on-one battles and some coaching in groups of 10,” said Warrack. “But they competed hard.”