Canadian Semipro football

[Ryman of the North]

Ok well My team The calgary wolfpack is now 5-0, we won our last game 59-31, I am playing Oline until we can get some injured guys healthy and until I get my legs back, but it looks like I could be stuck playing here for the season. I forgot some advice I got from one of my american coaches once "if you dont like playing a position then don't stand out at it." lol Its OK because I like winning and more importantly I love smashing egos. 2 games ago I got to go against a so called all star on my former team,last year he got away with hitting me from behind and broke 2 of my ribs so this year our teams president let me line up across from him no matter which side he lined up on. so for an entire game I pretty much beat one guy down, we won 36-12.he would line up on the other side and then I would switch too, it was funny. by the end of the game he was dropping into coverage (he is a DT) lmao.

I don't care for Oline but one thing I am enjoying is beating down the so called all stars on some of the better teams. the past couple years ive gotten screwed by the system they use to vote (its not the players who vote but team owners and managers) one year instead of having DT;s on the team they just picked more De's lol. another year they named linebackers at the DT spot. anyway, this last game I got into it with DE/LB Dave henderson who plays for the buccaneers, he has won the lineman award a few times in our league but not by merit, I really enjoyed running the ball right at him and telling beforehand what we were going to do. he tried yapping at me and even dove at my knees once but most of the game he spent on roller skates. In pass pro he managed to get one pressure all game.

Ive been playing Left guard and in the 3 games ive started we suddenly have become the league best rushing team. (we have been known for our passing for 10 years lol) My buddy James is playing LT and hes 6-4 300 and im 6-5 325 so we bring some beef in the run game. last game we put up over 700 yards of offence and had 286 yards rushing averaging over 12 yards a carry.

anyway here in canada semi pro is quite different than in the states, we actually have players leave semi pro to go pro.

Last year the team I founded and then left had Grant Shaw playing CB and JR larose playing safety, shaw is now playing pro with the argos and Larose is in BC playing pro with the lions. the Stallions also picked Greg Whalen who was just cut from the Eskimos.

a lot of guys from our league go to europe, former university of wyoming WR Willie King went to Finland with my College buddy Nathan Connor, they both lit it up.

A couple years ago I was considering playing in Europe for fun, this was the scouting report on me that was emailed to me by one of the teams trying to get me to play lol.

(No Subject)‏

From: Mario Stromboli (milantigers@hotmail.com)

Sent: September 10, 2003 9:47:40 AM

To: ryanistheking@hotmail.com

Ryan you wished to see some of our scouting reports as you had some questions to their accuracy as you had no knowledge of any scouts at AFL games.here is a part of the e-mail i received from Jim Stadnyk last summer when we originaly were awarded our franchise.Do you agree with the assesment of players?

Mario here are a few of the player scouting reports you asked for i believe there are at least 35 players currently playing Here in Alberta that could help your club I have reports on 25 others that I have been following here in Calgary and Edmonton I am doing this as I am a fan of canadian football and I am not affiliated with any teams.

Ryan Bellerose-DL 6-4 325

Strengths

Great intensity

Has great awareness of the Ball really understands the game.

Uses hands well to shed blocks, Uses size and strength to collapse pocket rather than shed blocker.

Excellent athleticism for such a large man, great size/speed combination.Very good in pursuit.

He is Huge! 192cm 135kg but moves like a much smaller man!

Excellent short area quickness off the ball.

Very adept at taking on double teams and still making the tackle.

Very Productive led AFL in tackles in 2001 and averages about 6 tackles a game Playing DT.

Very Tough played very well despite shoulder injury that should have sidelined him.

Weaknesses

Very intense can be a little hard to handle on the sidelines. Has very strong personality Seems to lack strength at times (could be from shoulder injury)Has great push but seems to lack upper body strength at the finish.

Tends to favour his right arm (definitely from shoulder injury)plays better when his right shoulder is towards the outside.

Gets frustrated and plays a little out of control at times. Rarely takes penalties.

Injury prone and although he plays through injuries it could prove to be a problem (probably should be signed to a performance incentive based on plays played).

Needs to be in better cardiovascular condition as well seems to wear down.

Needs to work on shedding blocks rather than just running them into the backfield!

Trash talks constantly could be a problem.

Last seasons stats 4 games played 17 tackles 3 sacks 3 tackles for a loss 2 fum forced 1 fum rec

Ryan seems to be having trouble with his body, particularly his shoulder, however he is a dominating Lineman even when not 100% and he would be a great pick up as he is a natural leader and his intensity rubs off on those around him ; However you will need a very strong Coach to keep him reigned in but I believe he is well worth the effort. Talking to his former team the Icemen is a waste of time as Ryan left them to Start his own Team contact Jim Lightfoot at JIMLi50@aol.com for info or Stallionsball@hotmail.com also there are rumours that he left to attend university.

anyway maybe ill keep this thread updated , on the old extremeskins i used to keep my friends in the loop, thats back wehn Diehard (the founder of extremeskins) was with the oakville longhorns (one of the best amateur football teams in history)

[TimmySmith]

Good for you. Keep up the good work, have fun and stay healthy. I hope you make it back to the defensive side of the ball.

[DButz65]

Cool beans

Does the name Ray Jauch ring a bell for you at all?

[Ryman of the North]

Cool beans

Does the name Ray Jauch ring a bell for you at all?

he was a coach in the CFL,he coached my favourite team THE EDMONTON ESKIMOS .

Thanks Timmy, im not a fan of playing Oline but Ive lost a lot of mobility after tearing an achilles and wrecking one knee to the point where I wear a brace to do anything at all lmao. my legs are coming back, anyone who has knee issues NEEDS to try deep water running.

[DButz65]

he was a coach in the CFL,he coached my favourite team THE EDMONTON ESKIMOS .

Thanks Timmy, im not a fan of playing Oline but Ive lost a lot of mobility after tearing an achilles and wrecking one knee to the point where I wear a brace to do anything at all lmao. my legs are coming back, anyone who has knee issues NEEDS to try deep water running.

Yep and he was my coach is HS for one year..and was also a coach of Washingtons arena team

"In 1985, Jauch coached the Washington-Lee Generals Virginia High School league [VHSL] team in Arlington, Virginia for one season until the Arena Football league got off the ground. He was assisted by ex-U.VA RB David Hall, who played one year for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Jauch

[Ryman of the North]

Thats awesome. he was done with the esks by the time I was old enough to understand the game but he left a footprint on that team for sure.

and Dave BUTZ was awesome, it hurts me that it has cover corner under his name on your account lmao.

[SWFLSkins]

Congrats Ryman on the 5-0 and being a Canadian Hog. I hope your knee holds out and wish you good health for the season. How many games are played and could you post links within this thread by the local media before or after the games? Would like to follow your team into the playoffs.

Best.

[Ryman of the North]

http://www.calgarywolfpack.com there is a link on the team website for media but it hasnt been updated since the Lloyd game, there are however highlight links to youtube and a short write up after each game. we are not playing again until august 8th as we had one team fold and we cancelled an exhibition game against an american team due to us having so many injuries.

Here are the game results from the season so far, this season we are playing only 7 games plus playoffs, usually we play between 8-10 but last year one team folded and this season one team folded. There is also a National Championship played at the end of the year between the AFL (alberta) and the NFC (ontario), we have won more than our share of those games but the Ontario guys take it far more seriously and have way better depth.

our results thus far

Sat 7/10/10 6pm Calgary Wolfpack 59 @ Red Deer Buccaneers 31 Great Chief Park

Sat 6/26/10 6pm Calgary Wolfpack 36 @ Edmonton Stallions 12 Foote Field

Sat 6/19/10 4pm Lloydminster Vandals 25 @ Calgary Wolfpack 41 Hellard Field,

Sun 6/13/10 1pm Calgary Wolfpack 68 @ Lancaster Legion 0 Kinsman Park

Sat 6/5/10 6pm Calgary Gators 19 @ Calgary Wolfpack 41 Hellard Field,

[MassSkinsFan]

Ryman - three questions:

Why do you prefer DL to OL? I used to be OL (mainly C) and loved it. Just curious.

How were you switching sides as a G? Did you break the huddle then wait to see where your ex-teammate lined up, then go there? What if he waited until you were in your stance, then moved?

You've mentioned before trying out for some pro squads. Which were they and what was that like?

[Ryman of the North]

Dline fits me more mentally, I like attacking. I don't really find Oline to be as much fun especially Pass pro. I like run blocking tho. the issue is that I have expectations for myself and havent met recently them due to injuries, Ive gone from being a playmaker to a complimentary guy and im not suited for that. some guys just love to play and will play anything I am going to finish the season this year and then decide if its worth it for to keep playing if im playing Oline.

against the Stallions,we would break the huddle and I would simply go to whatever side Fung was lined up on. late in the game he started switching after I was in my stance and then he started dropping into coverage lmao.

I went out for the winnipeg Blue bombers back when Cal Gibron was the GM, he had watched me play in an all star game, when they brought me to camp I had just finished a season and was recovering from a shoulder injury, I did very well in one on ones and in drills but they didnt want to risk a reinjury. they also asked me to gain 20 more pounds and I was already 310 (they didnt believe me until we weighed in in front of them. that was when I had abs lol or at least a semblance of abs lol)

was supposed to go to camp with the Hamilton Ticats in 2001 but quit to go back and play one last season in university that same season was offered a contract with the eskimos but it was a lowball offer of 35k a year, I made more in the summer working in the oilfield. also that season I had a cup of coffee with the Chicago Bears in but they wanted me to switch to Oline and I was simply not interested, then 2 years later they signed a good friend of mine Izzy Idonije.

the main difference between Canadian and American ball is the size and speed of the average player, in canada in highschool I was a freak, at 6-4 and 290 pounds I played basketball and ran track, I had a 34 inch vert and ran the 40 in 4.8, I benched 225 21 times in grade 12 but my best was the squat where I squatted 750. In the states that would have made me a solid prospect, in Canada it made me an elite one. I did get a lot of recruiting letters and I visited several US colleges but in the end I stayed home and played basketball at Concordia College for a season before playing football.

[MassSkinsFan]

Yeah pass pro is not much fun. Only one time that I can remember did I actually enjoy it. In a HS game I was uncovered (v. 4-3) and I dropped back to pick up anyone blitzing. I saw that the T and G on the left had split and a defender was headed through the gap. I drew a bead on him, moving laterally and backward when I saw the T lose his man. Both were heading for the QB who was looking right. Before they could blindside him I laid out (more like dove into the air) in front of both guys, taking them out mid-thigh.

I got flagged on that one. I don't remember the call but I think it was actually clipping. Ridiculous. When we watched film it was clearly a clean play and a good one too.

That was the only time I enjoyed pass pro. Run blocking was where it was at - I always like to imagine I was one of the Hogs (our teams were run-oriented, and our avg run gain was probably about 5-6 yards).

Thanks for sharing - cool stuff!

[Ryman of the North]

no worries, I have fun sometimes. the thing is I have been known to talk smack, on our D I get away with it all the time because it fires the other guys up, they love when I show people the belt or when I give them the out sign but our Offence gets pissy with me when I start getting too fired up lmao.

last game I came to the line and told #1 Dave Henderson that the ball was coming right here hoping he would man up in the hole, he still chose to shoot the gap on the other side of the center so there was a huge hole where he was supposed to be and we got a 35 yard run out of it. My favourite play was we ran a lead up the 3 hole and henderson tried to get in the area and I put him on roller skates, he started screaming that I was holding him but I was using a forearm and near the end of the run I gave him a little push and pancaked him, he was laying on the ground swearing at me and he called me a hurtful name that you call female dogs, of course I then stood over him and reminded him which one of us was laying on the ground, I also reminded him that we were up 21 points and driving again. some of my teammates pulled me away just as I started letting him now what I was gonna do to him on the next play.

so far 2 of the 3 teams I have played Oline against were running a 3-4 and I gotta say as a guard its almost embarrassingly easy to block against.

btw thats not clipping in your story, thats damn fine oline play.

[Ryman of the North]

OK coming off our BYe month (lol long story) we demolished the Sherwood Park renegades 56-0. I played most of the game at LG. at the end of the half I went in for a play at Dt because we knew they were passing. I got a solid rush and the qb dumped it off to a short receiver, I turned upfield to chase and as i got close I was hit from behind I spun and landed funny, tweaked my tailbone lol, (its purple now) still finished the game and we racked up serious yardage. but my back has been spasming and I took a day off of work. cant sit down right at all lol.

This weekend we play the second best (or third best depending on who you ask) team and its gonna determine first place. this is the only team that has beaten us more than twice in the past 4 seasons so we are taking it seriously. Im gonna go to practice tonite and test my legs out as I may end up playing left tackle against them as our left tackle is out of town on work and Im pretty much the most mobile lineman on the team. i dont really care for playing LT as its mostly just mirroring. I would rather play OG as at least then I can take shots without worrying about getting beat. Id be a bit more confortable if i could sit down without pain as well, thats a bit worrysome, if this wasnt for home field advantage for playoffs I wouldnt even dress. depending on how I feel after I get some treatment tonite I may not dress until saturday night.

anyway the team looks solid despite losing so many guys to injuries, in the past that would have killed us but this year the injuries all came in spots that we have guys ready to step up. we play again this saturday.

[Skin'Em84]

Yo did you play a game called Space Merchant back in the day? I played with a huge dude named James and I think his friend was Ryan...and they were from Canada. There aren't many people that size too.

[Rdskn4Lyf21]

Good luck this weekend Ryman!

[shuler74]

Man must feel good to put on those pads.....good luck and stay healthy.