Prior to joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders as the team's head athletic therapist, Greg Mayer worked in the Western Hockey League for 26 years, first with the Moose Jaw Warriors from 1997 to 2004 and then with the Regina Pats from 2004 to 2023.
"I was contacted by the team about an opening with the head athletic therapist position, but we had just come back from a big B.C. trip. I think we played seven games all through B.C.," Mayer recalled on The SportsCage.
"The roads were bad, then we had to go right back to Winnipeg. We're coming back and it's about three o'clock in the morning, I was staring out the window around Virden. This message came across: 'Would you be interested in talking to Jeremy [O'Day]?' I enjoyed the job when I was there and never really had a real endpoint, but it was the timing. When it came up, the timing was the right time."
During his 26 years in the WHL, Mayer enjoyed reconnecting with players he hadn't seen in a long time.
"My second last year, we were in Moose Jaw playing the Warriors. They have their annual Ring of Honour-type thing, someone came up to one of the security guards and said: 'Hey, there's some guys here that are asking for you,'" Mayer explained.
"So I go out, it was a combination of Shawn Limpright, Steven Crampton and Brian Sutherby. I hadn't seen those guys, they were my first three, four years in the league in Moose Jaw, since they were 19, 20 years old. Now they're in their 30s or 40s."
When Mayer started working with the Riders, he had to change his habits from the WHL.
"In the CFL, I've had to learn, you're dealing with men," Mayer explained. "There's a huge difference between a 16 or 19-year-old body to someone, as we know when you get into your 30s, it's different. Things are sore a little longer, the bumps, bruises, injuries accumulate."
Mayer is open to learning even with all of his experience as he continues to improve his skills and knowledge.
"I like to keep up to date as much as I can. I think being an older guy, I have to do it in micro doses because it's not like it was when I was 20 some years old to be able to cram all night," Mayer said with a chuckle.
One of Mayer's mentors is Ivan Gutfriend, who used to be the Riders athletic therapist. Gutfriend retired in 2015 and was inducted into the Riders Plaza of Honour in 2016.
"I've learned so much from Ivan over the years. Even still with Ivan, there have been times where we will pick his brain because I don't think there's much the guy has not seen or has an answer to," Mayer said. "I'm very blessed to have him around as a resource."
According to Mayer, he hasn't met the Pats' head athletic therapist Cole Stevens yet due to schedule conflicts.
"We have a good relationship with those people over there while I was there, and even now, too," Mayer explained. "So it's something to try to get him over here, introduce myself, and be open to spreading any limited knowledge I might have."
