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Golden Bears football coach discusses CFL combine, life after football

While the allure of suiting up for a Canadian Football League squad may be a dream for university athletes, Chris Morris emphasized that pro football should not be an “ultimate destination.”

The regional CFL Draft combine on Monday welcomed Golden Bears linebackers Connor Ralph and Tom Tsoumpas, wide receiver Yembeh Moiba and offensive lineman Scott Ledieu to a field of athletes competing for an invite to the national combine this weekend in Toronto.

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After deliberation between CFL head coaches and scouts, only four athletes from a field of 43 were invited to the national combine, with no Bears football players being selected.

Morris, who played for the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos from 1992 to 2005, knows what it takes to play pro pigskin. He also knows how “heartless” the game can be.

“Football doesn’t look after anybody,” Morris said. “At some point it just throws people away. At some point, you have to be prepared for when that happens.”

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Ralph, who led the Canada West in tackles (61.5), tackles per game (7.7) while finishing third in sacks (three), finished first at the combine in shuttle (4.44 seconds) and 3-cone (7.06 seconds) and third in bench (27 reps) among linebackers.

With one year of varsity eligibility left, Ralph said he’s looking forward to returning to the U of A for his last season despite not earning a national invite.

“I won’t really think about it too much,” Ralph said of his CFL prospects. “I did alright. I could’ve done better, but I gave it my all, though.

“Hopefully a team likes you enough to draft you still. If something happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

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Tsoumpas bested Ralph’s bench (28 reps) while registering the third-best shuttle time (4.53 seconds) and fifth-best 3-cond time (7.47 seconds) among linebackers. However, Tsoumpas finished last in 40-yard dash (5.15 seconds) and vertical leap (31 inches).

Among offensive linemen, Ledieu finished fifth in the 40-yard dash (5.96 seconds) and sixth in shuttle time (5.21 seconds) and 3-cone (9.21 seconds).

Also representing the Bears offense, Moiba, a Track & Field varsity team member, finished first among wide receivers in the 40-yard dash (4.65 seconds), while tying for fourth in bench (17 reps) at the position and third in broad jump (10 feet).

While testing well metrically, Moiba said he was pleased with his route running, as he broke free from Okanagan Sun cornerback and national combine invitee Dexter Janke for a deep catch in the one-on-one drills.

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“Overall, I was happy with it,” Moiba said of his performance at the combine. “I came in here and did everything I had to do. I tested well, and I’m happy with it.”

Morris was the first person that told Moiba he has the ability to play in the CFL, he said, and he used that as motivation in the two years with Morris at the helm.

Moiba said he’d still like to pursue football and get a call from a CFL team down the road, but for how he’s focused on graduating from the U of A with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing this April with a couple job offers on the table.

Moiba added that Morris “changed the culture” of the program, instilling a “family first, academics second and football third” philosophy into the locker room, and because of that, is grateful to have a backup plan in case his football career is over.

Morris, who was drafted in the first round of the 1992 draft by the Edmonton Eskimos, won three Grey Cups as an offensive lineman. But “all it takes is one hit” for a promising gridiron career to be over.

“Football is a great thing to attract young men and it’s a great thing for young men to be associated with, insofar as it’s a vehicle for people to learn a little about teamwork and discipline,” Morris said of life beyond football. “No matter how talented you are, it’s going to end at some point.”

But while Morris has stressed to the locker room how the CFL route is a combative environment, he acknowledges that the four Golden Bears players still have professional football in their sights.

His advice? Don’t stop competing.

“Anything you want to do, be the very best at it,” Morris said. “Try and be the best guy there, and compete that way. Not for a split second doubt your ability.

“They will all learn from that. Everything you do in this journey will give you lessons.”

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