Max Parkinson maxes out on football.
There is little time for anything but the gridiron game for the 22-year-old defensive lineman, who routinely practices with two teams — the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the PFC’s Regina Thunder — on weekdays.
“It’s great, because I wanted to dive into the deep end,” says Parkinson, who is from London, England.
“I wanted to be doing as much as I could in as short a period of time as possible, because I know I need to catch up.
“I can hold my hands up and say I’m definitely not the most knowledgeable when it comes to football. Being in the position to do two practices five days a week is exactly what I need to do to get to some of these levels in terms of knowledge.”
The 6-foot-2, 276-pounder didn’t take up North American football until last season, when he had 9½ sacks in nine games while helping the University of West England Bullets win a national title.
Despite being a newcomer to the sport, he was invited to the CFL’s 2023 Global Combine — at which he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.73 seconds, which was the fastest time by a defensive lineman.
Although Parkinson was not selected in this year’s Global Draft, he nonetheless made the trek to Canada to play junior football for the Thunder and, as it turned out, practise with the Green and White.
“When I got the opportunity, I knew it was something I had to take,” he said after a Roughriders practice last week.
“I played rugby all my life. I played football — or soccer, to you guys — all my life. Nothing had ever really stemmed out of it, not truly.
“Then, within a year, I’m with a professional team and I’m in this locker room now. It was the right choice and it was the right direction.”
That is a pronounced contrast to a period in which, athletically, Parkinson was in limbo.
“It just got to a point, really, where I was transitioning out of rugby,” he said. “I didn’t enjoy it as much (as he had before).
“Then I spent about a year just in the gym. Then, finally, I was like, ‘I’ve had enough training on my own now. I need to get back into something with that team involvement.’
“I’m a personal trainer by trade and one of my friends was on the same course as me and he had been playing football at the time.”
That would be linebacker Emmanuel Falola, a member of the Toronto Argonauts’ practice roster.
“We went to the (Global) Combine together,” Parkinson noted. “He was obviously the one who got me into football.
“It’s sort of a love story in a way, how it all came about. He brought me in and now we’re both on the PR with a CFL team, so it’s a great journey for both of us.”
How far would Parkinson like that journey to go?
“For me, it has always been about keeping that ball rolling,” he replied. “I just want to keep going. I don’t want to stop anytime soon, no matter what that means.”
The most meaningful game of the season is fast approaching for Parkinson and his Thunder teammates.
The Thunder is to meet the arch-rival Saskatoon Hilltops in the PFC championship game (Sunday, 1 p.m., SMF Field).
In semi-finals this past Sunday, the Thunder edged the visiting Edmonton Huskies 20-17 and the host Hilltops downed the Calgary Colts 53-2.
Saskatoon had won seven consecutive league titles before Regina ended that streak last year.
In nine regular-season and playoff games this year, the undefeated Hilltops have outscored the opposition 388-53.
COLLEGE CLASSICS
The University of Regina Rams were eliminated from Canada West playoff contention on Saturday when the University of Manitoba Bisons won a 41-34 thriller at Mosaic Stadium.
Bisons quarterback Jackson Tachinski snapped a 34-34 tie when he ran for a three-yard touchdown with 49 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Rams had tied the game with 2:23 left when Aldo Galvan converted a seven-yard TD run by rookie quarterback Owen Sieben.
Tachinski threw for 332 yards and two TDs.
Manitoba’s Maya Turner — the first female to play U Sports football — hit four of five field-goal attempts, including a 48-yarder.
The Rams’ Marshall Erichsen rushed for 111 yards and one major.
Sieben threw for 234 yards, including a five-yard TD pass to Rylan Sokul.
Regina’s Kenton Appel scored on a 115-yard missed field goal return.
Manitoba improved its record to 3-3. Regina dropped to 1-5.
Also on Saturday, the University of Alberta Golden Bears moved into sole possession of first place by defeating the University of Saskatchewan Huskies 23-20 in Edmonton.
Jonathan Guistini kicked a game-winning, 33-yard field goal on the game’s final play after the Huskies had rallied from a 20-10 deficit.
Huskies quarterback Anton Amundrud threw for 262 yards, 57 of which came on a TD pass to Rhett Vavra.
Saskatchewan’s Charlie Parks had a sack and three tackles for a loss.
The Huskies (4-2) are tied for second place with the UBC Thunderbirds.
Next Saturday, the Rams are to visit UBC and the Huskies are to oppose the University of Calgary Dinos (4 p.m., Griffiths Stadium).
