Latest news with #CFLCombine
Ottawa Citizen
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
2025 CFL DRAFT: Calgary's Ope Oshinubi used football dreams to survive serious skin syndrome
Article content Ope Oshinubi is oh-so wide-eyed — perhaps more than any of the prospects in the 2025 CFL Draft class — about the opportunity for a career in pro football. Article content Because not long ago, the running back from Calgary could barely open his eyes — his sight threatened for years by a serious skin condition. Article content The disorder — known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome — first took hold of him while he was attending middle school and comprised his ability to see, walk and even eat for weeks at a time. Article content Article content 'Yeah, so it's an autoimmune disease that affects your mucosal membranes,' explained Oshinubi. 'You get these lesions that show up all of your skin, and it was the worst in my mouth. Article content Article content 'It really was emotional for me,' he continued, recalling his days before football during years spent in and out of the hospital. 'It was really tough for me, because it just kept recurring and kept recurring and recurring, and it was really hard for me. Article content 'There were honestly times I really didn't think I was gonna make it.' What kept him going, he declares, was football. Article content 'Yeah … my family really wanted me to stop playing sports and stop doing everything at that time, and I really, really wanted to play football,' Oshinubi said. 'I had never played football. At that point in time, when I was going to high school, I really wanted to play football, and I was able to get through that sickness. Article content Article content 'Thank God I made it through.' Article content Article content Fast-forward a handful of years and Oshinubi is through with flying colours, having taken up football and excelled at it enough — he posted the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2025 CFL Combine with a time of 4.41 seconds — to become one of the higher-profile Canadians eligible for Tuesday's CFL Draft (4 p.m., TSN). Article content The graduate of Robert Thirsk High School in the city's northwest is one of a few talents from Calgary likely to hear his name called during this year's edition of the annual pick-em. Article content And when he does, Oshinubi is likely to become emotional all over again. Article content 'I feel like football was a big influence on me as a kid, because at the time, I was so sick — I couldn't really walk and really do anything,' said the now 6-foot-2, 225-lb. University of Alberta Golden Bears backfield graduate. 'So it really put in perspective for me of what it means to have an able body — that's a real blessing. So that really drove me to use it to the best of my abilities in every way I could. That's really what created the passion of football for me.
Calgary Herald
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
2025 CFL DRAFT: Calgary's Ope Oshinubi used football dreams to survive serious skin syndrome
Article content Ope Oshinubi is oh-so wide-eyed — perhaps more than any of the prospects in the 2025 CFL Draft class — about the opportunity for a career in pro football. Article content Because not long ago, the running back from Calgary could barely open his eyes — his sight threatened for years by a serious skin condition. Article content The disorder — known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome — first took hold of him while he was attending middle school and comprised his ability to see, walk and even eat for weeks at a time. Article content Article content 'Yeah, so it's an autoimmune disease that affects your mucosal membranes,' explained Oshinubi. 'You get these lesions that show up all of your skin, and it was the worst in my mouth. Article content Article content 'It really was emotional for me,' he continued, recalling his days before football during years spent in and out of the hospital. 'It was really tough for me, because it just kept recurring and kept recurring and recurring, and it was really hard for me. Article content 'There were honestly times I really didn't think I was gonna make it.' Article content What kept him going, he declares, was football. Article content 'Yeah … my family really wanted me to stop playing sports and stop doing everything at that time, and I really, really wanted to play football,' Oshinubi said. 'I had never played football. At that point in time, when I was going to high school, I really wanted to play football, and I was able to get through that sickness. Article content Article content 'Thank God I made it through.' Article content Article content Fast-forward a handful of years and Oshinubi is through with flying colours, having taken up football and excelled at it enough — he posted the fastest 40-yard dash at the 2025 CFL Combine with a time of 4.41 seconds — to become one of the higher-profile Canadians eligible for Tuesday's CFL Draft (4 p.m., TSN). Article content The graduate of Robert Thirsk High School in the city's northwest is one of a few talents from Calgary likely to hear his name called during this year's edition of the annual pick-em. Article content And when he does, Oshinubi is likely to become emotional all over again. Article content 'I feel like football was a big influence on me as a kid, because at the time, I was so sick — I couldn't really walk and really do anything,' said the now 6-foot-2, 225-lb. University of Alberta Golden Bears backfield graduate. 'So it really put in perspective for me of what it means to have an able body — that's a real blessing. So that really drove me to use it to the best of my abilities in every way I could. That's really what created the passion of football for me.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Roughriders know what they are looking for at CFL Combine
Corey Mace knows what he wants to see at the CFL Combine. The Saskatchewan Roughriders' head coach along with other CFL head coaches, general managers and team personnel are in Regina this weekend for a three-day evaluation camp as they get a close-up look at the top prospects ahead of this year's draft. For Mace, while he's scouted these players on film already, he's excited to see how they perform in person live — whether it's on the field during one-on-one drills or in the board room for sit-down interviews. 'I think more and more guys now understand the process and their training of preparing not only for the physical components of what happens here this weekend, but also the sit-down interviews,' said Mace. 'These guys are getting good coaching and good advice, but ultimately, like anything else, when the lights are going to be shining on you, you've got to perform. 'These guys have been training, hopefully for quite some time, to prepare for this, and you want to see what that looks like when they're when they're asked to perform at their best. 'So, there's a little bit of pressure in that, but there's pressure being a professional football player and as well.' After Friday's individual testing, which included the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone shuttle and short shuttle, the 74 prospects hit the field in pads on Saturday and Sunday for one-on-ones and team drills. After putting up the fastest time in the short shuttle and fifth fastest time in the 40-yard dash, University of Saskatchewan Huskies receiver Daniel Wiebe had another strong performance on the field on Saturday with several nice catches. 'There's limited opportunity and you got to make the most of that,' said Wiebe. 'You're not getting the ball every play, so if you're not getting the ball, you better be blocking good. 'If it's thrown your way, you better catch that, because you don't know when it's coming back. So, you've just got to make the most of the moment and just really dial in.' For defensive back Ethan Ball, a Regina product who suited up for the University of Calgary Dinos last season following four years at the University of North Dakota, he also said it's important to make the most of your opportunity when your number gets called. 'We haven't really competed and played football on a field since November when the season ended but felt good to get back out here and get the pads on,' said Ball. 'Even in the (individual) drills, you get to two reps of things, and if you mess up a rep, it's like, there goes one of your chances to show what you can do. 'You've got to kind of just go and show out. I think the big thing is having a short memory; if you do have a bad rep or a bad play, erase it, next play and let's go.' Ball also trusts that teams have been doing their homework on prospects all season and the combine is just a small sample size of what each guy can bring to the table. 'I think this weekend is important, but it's one of those debates,' said Ball. 'I don't know if you can really hurt yourself all that much this weekend, unless you put up an abysmal performance. 'But I think these coaches want to get their eyes on you in person, see what kind of guy you are, what kind of character you are on and off the field. So yeah, I don't think you can really hurt yourself this weekend; I think you can help yourself, if anything. 'Coaches, they do their homework. They've been doing their homework for a month or a year already on us. And this is just kind of the icing on the cake to top it all off.' For Roughriders general manager Jeremy O'Day, he said his team will evaluate prospects on their entire body of work through the season and into the combine. 'We'll come up with pre-combine grades for the players, and then they kind of change as you go through the process,' said O'Day. 'They could get better, they could drop, or they could stay the same. 'I think the testings are important. But I think really, you're just looking for them to fit into the mold of a professional football player. 'So as long as they have the physical capabilities and their testing and their strength is what we expect it to be, a lot of it is, and what we rely on, is watching them on tape.' tshire@ Top prospects showcase talent at CFL Combine in Regina Three Regina Rams among prospects ready to showcase skills at CFL Combine The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
