WINNIPEG — Coming off the best season of his CFL career, and just a over a month into the off-season, Chris Randle is already thinking of ways to do even better in 2018.
“You’ve got to find ways to maintain your play and your field of play, your IQ and everything has to keep going,” Randle said on Friday after signing a new two-year deal with the Blue Bombers. “Even with a baby, who’s right here babysitting me. I’m working and babysitting at the same time.”
Randle has already started to find the balance between fatherhood – his wife gave birth to a boy name Winston in early December – and being a professional football player as he sat on a conference call on Friday afternoon with his son and answered questions from members of the media.
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Last season, the 29-year-old was named a CFL All-Star and a West Division All-Star after hitting career-highs in defensive tackles (60), interceptions (five) and touchdowns (two). Randle started in all 18 games, including the Western Semi-Final, helping to anchor one of the best secondaries in the CFL that collected a league-leading 25 interceptions.
Three of the members of that secondary – Randle, T.J. Heath and Maurice Leggett – were set to become free agents in February. Heath and Leggett still remain pending free agents but if Randle had it his way, they’d all be staying in the ‘Peg.
“If it was up to me, I’ve got a lot of guys I would love to play with and have along side of me,” Randle said. “It’s not my decision making, I can’t really say too much more than that but at the end of the day, T.J., we already know what he’s capable of doing and to add a playmaker like that to our defence to continue to do what we’re doing having 10 interceptions on one side of the field, that’s pretty dominant.”
Signing a long-term deal with the Bombers was something that was important to the Utah State product.
“I think it was in the best interest for both of us and definitely for myself,” Randle said of his two-year deal. “I see myself establishing myself in Winnipeg. I like it there. I like the environment that we have there. I think we’re going to continue on building something great.”
Last year, Winnipeg hosted their first playoff game since 2011. That locker room had become a band of brothers, which was something that has echoed through most Bombers players and Randle said that was one of the reasons why he wanted to stay a Bomber.
“That was definitely part of it,” he said when asked if the bonds he’s made with his teammates came into play in his decision to stay in Winnipeg. “I mean, whether you’re part of the team or not part of the team, that relationship will never go anywhere. I don’t think it would ever waiver what we’ve built. We really are brothers.”
Heading into the brand new season, Randle has a few personal goals. He wouldn’t exactly throw out any statistic’s he’d like to achieve – although after some prompting he chuckled and said, “let’s say double the touchdowns. That would be awesome.” Winning the Grey Cup was number one on his list, followed by “being thankful for all that’s good in my life.”
“And always be in a position to make plays,” he said of his third goal. “There’s been times where as the season’s gone on, the longevity of the season, you’ve got to be able to stay on top of it a bit more. I think there’s room for improvement for sure. My whole goal is to just make more plays.”
