Saddling up for the Rams
Tim Switzer, The Leader-Post
Published: Tuesday, May 08, 2007

University of Regina Rams running back Jesse Elford may be better suited as a linebacker.

If the guy can wrestle 450-pound steers to the ground, opposing receivers and tailbacks should be easy.

"I played a little linebacker in high school and hopefully I could take any guy down," the 18-year-old Milestone product said with a laugh.

On the other hand, maybe he should stay on offence for the time being. According to Elford, the same skill sets come in to play when wrestling a steer or running the ball into an opposing defence.

"As soon as I'm in the box, I think about hitting a linebacker right in the chest and it really helps," said Elford, who included a few steer wrestling clips on his football highlight tape. "Throwing that steer to the ground is almost exactly the same as running over a linebacker."

Elford spent his high school career running over opposing linebackers in the Regina Intercollegiate Football League as a member of the Notre Dame Hounds. After being named the Stewart Conference offensive player-of-the-year for the 2006 season, Elford committed to play for the Rams in the fall.

But before he gets too far into football mode, he plans to close out the high school rodeo season.

He's been to the high school nationals twice and hopes to attend one more go-round for his Grade 12 year (he's currently the provincial points leader).

His first trip was as a Grade 9 team roper with his brother, Levi, ("We didn't do well," said Jesse). The second time was last year, when he went into the steer-wrestling final at the top of the leaderboard.

"When I got down on my steer, he jumped right on me and I got underneath the hazer's horse (the one that keeps the steer running straight) and fell right on my face," Elford lamented. "It was a bit of tough luck."

Following this year's steer wrestling season, he plans to take it easy rodeo-wise for a few years while concentrating on football.

Football will have to be key over the next few seasons for the prized recruit if the Rams have anything to say about it. Head coach Frank McCrystal thinks Elford could play some linebacker in the CIS as well as a few more positions.

"He is big, strong, fast and a very responsible, committed young man," said McCrystal. "He can play a number of (positions). He can play fullback, he can play tailback, he can play slotback and he can play linebacker. He can do a lot of things and the challenge for us is to make sure we give him a spot that he has the best opportunity to see the field, teach him how to play that position and give him time at that position."

Wherever he plays, Elford is happy to be playing for the Rams. He had offers from McMaster and McGill, but decided to stay home and play for the team for which his dad once carried the ball. His father, Glen, was a running back with the1977 junior Rams.

"That played a big part," said Elford. "He edged me over. He played with a lot of the (current) coaches in the past so I got to meet all of them. It was a really good experience."

And it's maybe even more special for the father to see the son wearing the Rams Green and Gold.

"That's pretty sweet," said Glen. "When I look at some of the teammates he's with like Mat Nesbitt and Marc Mueller -- that's Larry's boy -- I played with Larry and Greg Nesbitt (Mat's father and the Rams defensive line coach). With those guys, I've got a connection and now their kids are on the same team as Jesse. I like that."

"That Ram things runs pretty deep through the community," said McCrystal, who finished his playing career with the Rams in 1976, one year before Glen Elford came on board. "We're quiet about it and it's kind of an unspoken thing, but that Ram tradition runs pretty deep."

Now that the family legacy is continued, Jesse Elford and McCrystal would like to see the Rams get back to their championship legacy.

Elford just might be the player that can steer them in that direction.

"He's about as perfect a fit as you can find for a Ram guy," said McCrystal. "(He's) rural Saskatchewan coming to town and playing some football."

MEDIA:
www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=7010e55e-84de-4cbf-81f4-07de3bacad59&k=70524&p=1