REAL District is transitioning from the combines to the Combine.
With Canada’s Farm Show having just concluded on Regina’s expansive exhibition grounds, the attention shifts to the CFL Combine — with many of the events to be held at the AffinityPlex. The expansive facility is across the street from Mosaic Stadium.
“It’s just convenient, especially for the guys who are in town and who live here,” Saskatchewan Roughriders Vice-President of Football Operations and General Manager Jeremy O’Day said on Thursday.
“Obviously, we don’t have to fly as many staff in because we’re already here. There’s the convenience of being able to go over to the stadium when we’re a group and we’re going to meet. You know where everything is and you know where to go.
“You also have your own support staff that’s helping out, so they’re around the players a little bit here and there. You have your own people who are in place.
“It’s maybe a little bit of comfort. Sleeping in your own bed is nice instead of sleeping in a hotel.”
Representatives of all nine teams have converged upon Regina for a showcase of top prospects for the April 29 CFL Draft.
Testing is on the agenda for Friday morning, when players will be timed or measured in the 40-yard dash, broad jump, vertical jump, three-cone drill and short shuttle. That event is set for 9 a.m. to noon at the EventPlex, with the bench press (1:30 to 3 p.m.) to follow at Mosaic Stadium.
On-field sessions are scheduled for the AffinityPlex on Saturday (11 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.) and Sunday (9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.).
“We’ll usually come up with pre-Combine grades for the players,” O’Day said. “Then they kind of change as you go through the process. They could get better, they could drop, or they could stay the same. It’s a fluid process.
“The testing is important but, really, you’re just looking for them to fit into the mold of a professional football player according to their position. As long as they have the physical capabilities and their testing and their strength is what we expect it to be, a lot of what we rely on is watching them on tape. The eye in the sky doesn’t lie, so they have to be good football players.
“It’s a constant process. We involve our whole staff — our personnel department and our coaching staff — to determine the best fit for players who are going to be Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“It’s based on what our roster is — if we have needs or if there are guys who are getting older. Do we feel like we can improve in the Draft? Are there guys who are potential ratio-changers?
“A lot of that goes into it. It’s all part of building a resume for each player.”
One of those players, once upon a time, was Corey Mace — who is entering his second season as the Roughriders’ Head Coach.
Mace attended the 2007 Combine after playing at the University of Wyoming.
“It was really good experience, being out of the country at that time and then coming back and seeing all these legendary faces — the coaches and GMs across the league who you’ve seen growing up — and also seeing the top prospects from our country,” the former Calgary Stampeders defensive tackle recalled.
“It’s just nice to be in that conversation. Ultimately, it’s about how you’re going to perform.”
TESTING TIME
University of Saskatchewan Huskies receiver Daniel Wiebe was asked on Thursday whether preparing for the Combine was akin to studying for a final exam.
“I would say yes, in the sense that they both take a lot of preparation,” he replied. “There is the playbook aspect, too, so you’ve got to be able to study that.
“There’s lots of little preparations that add up to it. Comparing it to going to class, you’ve got to go to those lifts. If you skip all the lifts and go to the Combine, you’re not going to do well. If you skip all the classes and go to the final, you’re probably not going to pass the class.
“There’s lots of preparation and this is definitely a big test, for sure.”
