You know what they say, the third time is the charm, and that's definitely been the case for Saskatchewan Roughriders fullback Morgan Runge. After not being selected in the CFL Draft, Riders Assistant General Manager Kyle Carson offered Runge an opportunity—or should I say opportunities?
“Went out to camp there in May of 2023, had a great experience, learned a lot. I was told, we like you, but we think you're going to be better served if you go back for a year. I wasn't upset about that too much. I was looking forward to getting back on the field with the (University of Alberta Golden) Bears, and then 2024 rolled around. Unfortunately, I just didn't make the cut there. Clint Ratkovic had a really great camp. He's a very good football player. So I was back in the grind with U of A. We put in an appeal and I had extra eligibility, so I was able to play another year with U of A.”
“Then December rolled around and Kyle said, hey champ, want to give it one more shot? And I was like, you betcha man, let's do it. And this year I was able to stick and got some opportunity to start at fullback a few games here and it's been awesome,” said Runge.
So did Runge feel pressure entering the 2025 training camp?
“Definitely pressure. Having been released basically two times, it felt like crunch time. When I was told making the jump from USports to the CFL, a lot of the guys were saying that in your second year, that's when you got to show that you can be on the field and you can be an impact player. Otherwise, you're just not going to be here. And having this been my third camp, it was kind of going through my head. If I don't do it this time, it will probably be over.”
Well, the third time's been the charm for Runge and the Riders.
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