Opportunity Awaits: Regional combine helped Laurensse to next level

Kristina Costabile

CFL.ca

@kcostabile1

When Adam Laurensse joins the Saskatchewan Roughriders at training camp this spring, he’s going to take advantage of the opportunity in front of him.

The defensive back, who was originally drafted in the 2017 CFL Draft by his hometown Calgary Stampeders, signed a deal with the Riders earlier this off-season. While he wants to make the roster by the time the season starts in late May, he knows he’ll have to be patient before that happens.

“I want to compete and I obviously want to play football but I have to be realistic,” Laurensse admitted over the phone last Wednesday. “I don’t think I will be able to step in right away. I think I just have to be like a sponge and learn as much as I can and then from there just try and grind my way to the top.”

Last year, Laurensse returned to the University of Calgary to play a fifth season with the Dinos. He collected 41 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble return.

Laurensse impressed scouts and general managers at the 2017 CFL National Scouting Combine presented by adidas (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)

This year, however, the 24-year-old will be taking his career to the next level, joining the crop of defensive backs on the Riders’ roster.

Ed Gainey (2017’s interception leader), Credzon Butler and veteran Jovon Johnson will all be at Laurensse’s disposal as he looks to learn about the intricacies of going head-to-head with the CFL’s best receivers.

“He (Gainey) would be great to learn from considering the year he had last year,” he said. “It’s pretty much just a bunch of guys there (I’d learn from). There’s Sam Hurl, who’s going to be there that’s also a former Dino. There’s Denzel Radford who’s also a Dino. But really I just want to learn from everybody.”

For Laurensse, the chance to pick the brains of some of the best playmakers in the league – and head coach Chris Jones, a well known defensive guru – wouldn’t have been possible without getting an invite from a regional combine to the CFL’s National Scouting Combine presented by adidas.

The Canadian Football League has three regional combines that take place every year – the Eastern Regional, Ontario Regional and Western Regional – giving Canadian prospects a chance to show off their skills ahead of the CFL Draft.

Do well at your regional combine and either get invited to the national combine (this year’s takes place in Winnipeg during Mark’s CFL Week) or hope that a scout or general manager took notice of your skill and effort.

Laurensse wasn’t originally invited to 2017’s national combine. Instead, he was invited to the Western Regional Combine and was one of five players that were selected to move on to the national.

“It just more people a shot to get noticed,” he said of the importance of regional combines. “To be honest, I believe that I should have been at the national combine considering who was there and the years that I had. But it’s great for everybody to showcase, like for junior players who aren’t in school, just that scenario for people I think it just gives them a great shot to get looked at.”

Each prospect competes in six drills at each combine – the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, 3-cone, bench press and short shuttle. Having a chance to do the event twice (once at the regional and again at the national) makes it a little less stressful.

“Obviously, it was still nerve wracking,” Laurensse admitted. “I just kind of got a feel for it just a few days before, just knowing the procedures and knowing what to expect really helped calm the nerves for sure.”

In 2017, 15 players from across the country were invited from their regional combines to Regina for the national.

Jimmy Ralph used his regional combine to impress the Argonauts enough to sign him as a free agent (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)

Defensive back Jordan Hoover (Ontario), Mitchell Hillis (Western) and Julan Lynch (Western) all moved on from the regional to the national, were drafted and made rosters last season.

Hoover was drafted by the Edmonton Eskimos in the fourth round (31st overall) of the 2017 CFL Draft and played in 17 games, mostly suiting up on special teams. Hillis was selected by the Lions in the eighth round (69th overall). He returned to the University of Saskatchewan for his final year of eligibility before re-signing with the Lions ahead of the 2018 season.

Lynch, who was selected by the Stampeders in the second round (17th overall), played in seven games with Calgary last season. The 23-year-old made his CFL debut in Week 9 and had two catches for 18 yards.

Sometimes, prospects don’t get an invite from their regional combine to the national stage but still go on to make a CFL roster.

Wide receiver Jimmy Ralph attended the Western Regional Combine in 2017 and did not get an invite to the National Combine. However, he signed as a free agent with the Toronto Argonauts and made an impact in his rookie season. He played in 16 games with the Double Blue and hauled in 26 catches for 287 yards on his way to winning a Grey Cup with the Argos.

Ottawa REDBLACKS running back Ed Ilnicki also attended the Western Regional last year but did not get an invite to the national. The REDBLACKS drafted Ilnicki in the seventh round (62nd overall) and he returned to the University of Alberta in 2017 where the 22-year-old won the Hec Crighton Trophy. He then went on to sign a contract with the REDBLACKS in January and will be competing for a spot in Ottawa’s backfield during this season’s training camp.

Whether it’s a regional or national combine, prospects use either the opportunity to showcase their talents, just like Laurensse did, hoping to join the professional ranks.

“I just went in with the mindset that this could be my last time playing football,” he said. “I think I just left it all out on the field, just took as many reps as I could and just tried to go 100 per cent the whole time, that was just the mindset.”

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