On the opening day of the Canadian Football League Combine in Regina, draft hopefuls competed in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone, short shuttle, and bench press.
Saskatoon-born linebacker Chase Tataryn put up a time of 4.83 seconds in the 40 dash, 4.53 seconds in the short shuttle, and 7.38 seconds in the three-cone. Additionally, he recorded a 31-inch vertical jump, a nine-foot, three-and-seven-eights-inch broad jump and repped 225 pounds 24 times on the bench press. Those results placed Tataryn in the middle of the pack, below his expectation level.
“The numbers weren't as good as I was hoping for, but we'll put on the pads and I'll prove myself there.”
Tataryn’s athleticism runs in his family. His dad was a dual-sport athlete, volleyball and basketball in high school, while his sister is an accomplished track athlete. The experience auditioning for a professional job is new to his family -- so much so that Tataryn asked them not to travel to Regina to watch.
“I asked my family not to come to the testing day because I didn't want any extra pressure, but they are going to watch the practices on Saturday and Sunday.”
The five-foot-10, 212-pound LB feels he can excel at the weekend workouts, which will feature one-on-one competition as well as some team sessions.
“I want to showcase all my football skills. I think my skills are pretty refined. I'm a good pass rusher regardless of what that 40 said; I'm a fast player on the field. There's not much hitting, but I want to show I can be physical, especially with the O-line in the run game.”
Tataryn has interview with teams over the weekend while taking to the field.
“That's definitely the most nerve-wracking part of this process, but after I get the first one under my belt, I think it'll be [about] keep getting better.”
His defensive coordinator at the University of Alberta -- a former CFL great -- has helped prepare him for interviews.
“I had practice with one of my coaches, A.J. Gass. He threw some questions at me and gave me some advice on how I should answer them the best way.”
Tataryn has homework in the form of learning a defensive playbook.
“The playbook's not too hard. It's mostly the pressure of having all these eyes on you is the biggest thing, but I think I've been handling it well.”
The eyes on Tataryn will grow on the weekend when his family arrives from Saskatoon, but he doesn’t believe he will have the most nerves.
“Definitely my mom. My sister and dad will be all good, but my mom will definitely be nervous.”
The CFL Combine continues throughout the weekend in Regina.
