Taking things one play at a time

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This article was published 22/08/2017 (2962 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

To call it a comeback would be misleading. Chris Randle hasn’t gone anywhere, even if injuries have prevented him from playing the game he loves for long stretches over his six years in the CFL.

“I can’t think about the end goal or even next week’s team, I just can’t do it that way because I know you have to cherish every moment of this game. It’s a privilege to play football,” a healthy Randle said during an interview after a Winnipeg Blue Bombers practice earlier this week. “I know this because it’s been taken away from me before.”

That perspective — of being sure to appreciate the present and not look too far ahead — has always been there. A man of faith, Randle said there isn’t a day that goes by where he doesn’t feel blessed to have the gifts required to play professional football. He is grateful for every day the game allows him to provide for his family.

But that form of tunnel vision has been particularly prominent this season. Given what Randle has been through, he has a better appreciation for how far he’s come. And after two injury-riddled seasons with the Bombers, he has not only returned to form this year but is considered by many — both on his team and across the league — to be among the best defensive backs in the CFL.

But not everyone thinks he’s getting the recognition he deserves.

“He’s one of the best corners in this league right now and nobody’s really giving him props,” said defensive back T.J. Heath, who plays halfback beside Randle on the boundary side of the field. “I’ve seen a few guys giving him props here and there but you see it every week, the guy is making plays.”

In eight games, Randle ranks third on the Bombers in defensive tackles despite rarely being tested by opposing quarterbacks. In the last three games, the 29-year-old has recovered a fumble against the Ottawa Redblacks, returning it 32 yards for a touchdown; recorded a quarterback sack on Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Zach Collaros; and last week he intercepted Edmonton Eskimos pivot Mike Reilly in a play that led to a Darvin Adams touchdown.

“I try not to pay attention to it but do I feel it?” Randle said when asked if he’s heard praise about his play this season. “Everyone knows what I’m capable of and what I’ve been doing for this team and this organization but to make these plays and consistently be doing it, I think it might be acknowledged more. But earning that respect from your teammates counts the most and that’s what I’ve noticed and it feels good to be appreciated.”

Randle can’t be blamed for allowing himself to feel good about some of the outside chatter, which includes praise from current and former players on social media. After all, it wasn’t long ago his body and conviction for the game was tested greatly, when 10 games into the 2015 CFL season he hit the ground following a routine play, holding his knee as he grimaced in pain.

Randle’s diagnosis: a torn ACL, with no chance of returning for the season.

The Bombers acquired quarterback Matt Nichols in a trade with Edmonton just days before Randle’s injury. Nichols, having suffered the same injury years before, recalled just how dark those days were for Randle.

“He went through the lowest of lows around here and to see him grind through all that… there’s only certain guys who can handle all of it and still be at the top of their game,” said Nichols. “He’s a guy that I have a ton of respect for and a guy that I follow.”

“They can get out and play but I don’t know how comfortable they feel. They say they feel comfortable… but it’s a whole year later that they feel great and are able to play to their potential,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea, referring to his experience with players recovering from serious knee injuries. “He puts the time in in the meeting rooms, too, and he’s a good leader… a guy that I rely on to help get practice going the way we want it going. He’s a special individual.”

Randle played just 12 games for the Bombers last season, missing six with a lower-body injury before returning late in the year for the playoff push. This past off-season was his first in a while where he’s been completely healthy, much different to the year before, where Randle worked tirelessly just to recover from the torn ACL in time for the season.

While he spent much of the off-season travelling the world with his wife Kylie, Randle said there wasn’t a day that went by where he wasn’t either working on his body or studying film. As he gets older, Randle has also become smarter about how he trains — tweaking his routine to spend less time in the gym lifting weights and more work on speed training, fine-tuning his technique and sharpening up mentally by watching more game film of his opponents.

“Over time you got to adjust,” said Randle. “I used to be able to fly around here. It used to be nothing to just come out here and work. It’s important to take care of your body.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @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.

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