Two years of hard work and determination have paid off for a local teen. Christopher Strongeagle is the perfect example of what great talent comes out of small towns.
From White Bear, Christopher has only been playing football for two years.
"I actually play a lot of other sports, like volleyball and basketball," he explained. "I just wanted to try something new for fun. I never thought it would go this far."
And far doesn't even begin to explain the accomplishment this 17 -year-old has made. It was recently announced that he would be playing for the Regina Rams next year, and was invited to play at this year's Senior Bowl without even having to go through the training camp selection process.
The Senior Bowl showcases the best high school football players from across the province. Each year at the end of March selection camp is held in Regina and Saskatoon where over 150 athletes attend and display their abilities. The one-day camps consist of a morning session filled with tests to determine their abilities, including a 40 yard time, 20 yard time, vertical jump, shuttle run, standing broad jump and bench press. The afternoons consist of position specific skill tests and drills.
Forty-five players are selected for the game from the south, 45 from the north.
The 28th annual game will be held May 21 In Saskatoon.
As for his University career, Christopher will have to keep his grades up in order to remain on the team, and he will have to be ok with sitting out a lot of the games, treating the first year as a learning experience.
The Rams had been in contact with him since his first year playing football for the bantam team in Estevan.
Christopher attends school in White Bear, but played his seasons with the Estevan Comprehensive Elecs, and the Estevan Bantam Steelers.
"He tried hard. When he chose football as another sport to play, his mother and I had to look into It.," said his father Rory StrongEagle.
"The closest team was in Estevan, and included one of us driving him back and forth up to six times a week before he got his license."
Only 10 recruits from the whole province make the team right out of high school and most of them have been playing football their whole lives.
He will joining former Elecs team mate Zach Rensby who will be playing his 2nd year with the Rams next year.
He was accepted to the First Nations University of Canada's Faculty of Arts for the Fall.
"Going into Fine Arts first year, then I want to find out about Kinesiology," explained the modest young man.
As for dealing with the stress and expectations his new coach and team will bring, Chris wasn't too worried.
"I try not to think about it too much, I just go and play. I like to have fun," he concluded.
