The 2017 CFL Combine produced a bumper crop.
Seven prospects who attended that Regina-based event went on to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Three of them — receiver Mitch Picton, offensive lineman Evan Johnson and linebacker Justin Herdman-Reed — are currently with the Green and White, which announced on Tuesday that the 2025 Combine has been awarded to the City of Regina.
The 2017 Combine, which ran from March 23 to 25, also highlighted the talents of players such as linebackers Jordan Herdman-Reed (Justin’s twin brother), Nakas Onyeka and Alexandre Chevrier, along with offensive lineman Braden Schram.
Bladek, Picton and Chevrier were all drafted by the Roughriders in 2017.
“I think Regina is a great place for the Combine to be at,” Picton said. “We have great facilities for it in the soccer centre and at the stadium and everything.
“When I was at the Combine, the fans were fantastic. Rider Nation loves football in any way they can get it so, especially in the winter months when things are a little slower, to get people excited about football is a good thing for Saskatchewan.”
Craig Reynolds is quick to concur.
“I remember the last time we hosted it, with CFL Week in ’17, and it was a big event,” the Roughriders’ President-CEO said. “It was exciting to have everybody here and to showcase the new stadium and the facilities at REAL.”
At the time, the Roughriders had just moved into new Mosaic Stadium, which was a popular attraction for planned and impromptu tours as the CFL community convened in the Queen City.
“We’ve got great facilities here and it’s really great for University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina kids to be able to showcase their talent and take part in the Combine in front of family and friends in their home province,” Reynolds said.
“It’s always good when you welcome the whole CFL here — coaches, GMs and scouts. It’s awesome to bring everybody here, where football is so important, and showcase the province’s love of football and the great facilities we have here.”
Also on Tuesday, the CFL announced that the 2024 Combine is to be held in Winnipeg from March 19 to 24.
Presented by New Era, the Combine is used to evaluate, test and interview Canadian and Global prospects ahead of the CFL Draft.
The timing and location of the next Saskatchewan-based Combine are especially noteworthy when you consider that the 2025 Vanier Cup — Canadian university football’s championship game — is also earmarked for Regina.
“We were privy to the fact that the U of R was bidding for the Vanier Cup and we thought it would be really cool to have both events here in Regina in 2025,” Reynolds noted.
“It’s really cool for the U of R, specifically, because obviously they’ll be the host organization and they’ll inevitably have some athletes competing at the Combine as well.
“It speaks to how important football is here in the city and in the province.”
As a barometer, consider that eight members of the Rams or Huskies took part in the 2023 Combine, which was held in Waterloo, Ont.
The Huskies were represented by receivers Daniel Perry and Caleb Morin, offensive lineman Dayton Black and defensive back Charlie Ringland.
Defensive linemen Anthony Bennett and Taylor Schmekel, defensive back Jaxon Ford and linebacker Josh White appeared on behalf of the Rams.
Ford was drafted by Saskatchewan in the second round (11th overall) on May 2.
Black (who was selected sixth overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats) and Bennett (eighth, Winnipeg Blue Bombers) were chosen in the first round — another testament to the high quality of football in Saskatchewan.
Given the province’s appetite for the gridiron game, the 2025 Combine will likely be complemented by events in which the Roughriders are involved.
“These are the types of things that we’ll start talking about pretty soon,” said Reynolds, who extended his thanks to the City of Regina, Tourism Saskatchewan and the Regina Hotel Association for their help with the bid.
“What sort of other things could we do while we’re hosting it? Can we do some fan-focused things with the team or some community appearances? Those sorts of things are always important to us, too.
“We’ll put our heads together pretty quickly and see what we can come up with as far as some really fun, cool ancillary events.”
