Randle crucial to Bombers rebuild

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/06/2016 (3400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA — Standing in the lobby of a downtown Ottawa hotel, defensive back Chris Randle spoke softly about the importance of the CFL pre-season.

For the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, he said, the pre-season is about getting sharper, building chemistry and improving communication. Asked what it means from a more personal standpoint, Randle gave a simpler answer.

“It’s all about timing,” he said.

What Randle was referring to was the technical term. Timing, he said, is knowing when to jump on the ball, to beat a receiver in an attempt to make a big play, or whether to pull off instead and contain.

It’s a part of the game he’s always been good at, said Randle. His ability to think quickly on his feet is what’s made him such an attractive piece in the CFL, a career that has lasted four seasons — first with Calgary for two years and then Winnipeg, who acquired him in trade with the Stampeders just days before becoming a free agent, signing him to a three-year deal.

But timing hasn’t always favoured Randle. Last season, he suffered a season-ending knee injury midway through the year, tearing his ACL in the annual Labour Day Classic against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

It was horrible timing for Randle, who had been playing well in his new role as the team’s strong-side linebacker; and for the Bombers, who only seemed to struggle without him.

Randle needed surgery. For months, he was restricted to crutches. He knew if he were get healthy again in time for the season, his timing had to perfect.

Knowing he was no good to the Bombers in his current condition, Randle left the team early in order to get an early start to his rehab. He said bye to his friends, then packed his bags and headed home to begin his longest off-season yet.

“I needed to get my rehab to a point where I’d be able to play,” said Randle. “So every single day that’s what fuelled me.”

In February, the Bombers signed Randle to a contract extension through the 2017 season. In a media release by the team, general manager Kyle Walters called Randle “one of the most valuable players on either side of the ball.”

“What he brings to the football field, his intensity, athleticism and skill, along with the intangibles that he carries inside out locker room,” Walters added, “all of those are hard to find in one individual.”

The timing of the extension was not only good for Randle, who could relax knowing the team was fully dedicated to him and that his rehab was on track for a return for training camp in May, but also for his teammates, who know the importance of having one of their leaders around long term.

 “He brings a lot of emotion, a lot of swagger,” said Bombers linebacker Khalil Bass. “He keeps everybody’s spirits up and he’s a vocal leader out there.”

Bass added: “He’s definitely one of our good ones.”

Back at his old position as a defensive back, Randle has steadily improved through training camp. Given the detour in his regular off-season training schedule, rust was inevitable. He said he felt good after last week’s opener against Montreal, his first game in more than nine months.

“Him being out for that long, he kind of missed the game a lot more than a lot of us did,” said Bass. “He’s ready to go. He’s got a chip on his shoulder.”

On Monday, Randle was even better, finishing with three tackles and a knockdown against the Ottawa Redblacks at TD Place. But it was two particular plays, ones that didn’t end up with a tick on the stat line that stood out most.

With both plays deep in the Bombers’ end, twice the Redblacks tried to feed a receiver in the end zone for a score; and twice, Randle had timed it perfectly, just enough to disrupt the receiver and prevent a touchdown. Both times Ottawa was forced to settle for a field goal.

“I really want to be great,” said Randle. “And I feel like I can only get better with time.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.