Bryce McKinnon is waiting for the call that could change his life.
The former Cochrane football player spent a day in front of Canadian Football League coaches at the organization’s annual regional combine late last month – and he has a little more than four weeks before he knows whether his performance piqued the interest of any professional teams.
“You wait … a lot of waiting. Waiting to see if teams are interested or not,” said McKinnon this week. “Then, if not, you keep moving on.”
CFL brass invited 45 prospects from across the western region to a one-day skills-based challenge in Regina in March in front of a slate of scouts, coaches and managers ahead of the 2017 draft. Two other combines were also held in Toronto and Montreal.
McKinnon, a 285-pound star defensive lineman on the University of Regina Rams, said he grinded it out on the gridiron with his peers during a 40-yard dash, vertical jump, short shuttle, three-cone drill, bench press and more.
“It was cool – it was awesome. It’s one of the craziest job interviews you’ll ever have,” he said of the opportunity, adding though he had friends and teammates there, each player concentrated mostly on their own performance. “Honestly, you just jump in. You see an open spot and jump in … whatever you’ve got to do, whatever it takes. You’ve got to just focus on you and not worry about everything.”
A handful of players were called up to take part in a national combine the next day, where they were scrutinized more closely with medical exams, strength and speed tests, and interviews.
With the regional and national showcases finished, all participants, including McKinnon, must wait to see what happens on May 7 – the day of the 2017 CFL draft. Eight rounds, with nine picks per, will determine who will be on football fields across the country when training camp begins on May 28.
The former Cochrane Cobra said it’s tough to play the waiting game, but he’ll keep busy in the meantime with final exams at university and a new job starting in the next couple of weeks.
Though McKinnon said his coaches were “happy with his performance,” McKinnon is hardest on himself, exposing elements of his game he wants to work on going forward in his football career.
“I felt that I did alright … Obviously, I hold myself to a higher standard – there’s always room for improvement,” he said. “There were some good things and just things I can learn from: where I’m at and what I need to do to get better.
“After everything was said and done, I was a little bit upset with myself … I sat down for a minute and I thought about it, and there’s nothing to be down about. I went out and did the best I possibly could. You really take that quick minute (and think), ‘Hey, this is how you do it.’
“You’ve got to enjoy the process.”
