Corfield chasing his football dreams
Niagara Falls native Greg Corfield (99) has been invited to Thursday’s Canadian Football League Ontario Regional Combine in Toronto. Photos by PETE METHNER.
In his first two years playing football at the University of Guelph, Greg Corfield vividly recalls his older teammates getting invited to the Canadian Football League Draft Combine.
“I always thought that was something I wanted to do and I looked up to those guys,” the 21-year-old Niagara Falls native said. “I think that made me work hard enough to get the invite.”
In early January, the Saint Paul alumnus received an invitation to attend this Thursday’s Ontario Regional Combine March 21 in Toronto.
“It was a bit of a surprise but it was a nice way to know that I put in enough work and effort this year,” the 6-4, 320-pound defensive lineman said. “I was so ecstatic about it because there is no heads up that they are sending out the email.
“One day you get it and it’s a dream of a lot of kids to play professionally. This is a big step towards that.”
The former Niagara Spears travel player put in a lot of time and effort to make that first big step a reality.
“It was a lot of working out, a lot of weight room stuff and a lot of on-field conditioning, training and sprinting; just everything you can think of that would remotely contribute to becoming a better athlete, we would do it.”
All that translated to a definite style of play on the football field.
“It’s hard-nosed, nitty gritty and basically a street fight on every single play,” he said.
And the action is down in the trenches where there is little fanfare for a job done well.
“There’s not a ton of recognition, but when you make an incredible play, there will be guys beside you telling you that you have done well.”
Corfield feels he has taken big strides in his abilities over the past few seasons.
“Everything is coming into place and I am polishing up everything that I have been learning up until this point and everything is starting to click in my head,” he said. “When the coaches tell me little adjustments, I am start to get those down and be as flawless as I can.”
In layman’s sports terms, the game of football is slowing down for him.
“When you come in for your first few years, the game is so much faster and then everything just sort of slows down and you have more time to think about what you are going to do.”
The top prospects from the three regional combines get invited to The CFL Combine presented by New Era March 22-24 in Toronto. There, they will compete in front of CFL coaches, general managers and player personnel.
Corfield is approaching the regional combine as just another day at the office.
“I don’t want to psyche myself out too much,” he said. “I just want to go, have fun and think of it as just another practice or another workout.
“I have to keep doing the same things I have been doing up until this point.”
To get too caught up in things would be a big mistake.
“I can’t be thinking I have to do this many reps, I have to run this fast and I have to win all my one-on-ones,” Corfield said. “In reality, we do one-on-ones every practice, we do skill sessions every day and we have been training for this all through university.
“When you break it down to its simplest form, it’s not any different than a regular practice.”
Corfield would love to land a CFL job this year but, if not, he will return for his final year of eligibility at the University of Guelph.
“I would love to play for some money and play in the CFL, but obviously if that doesn’t happen, I would, for sure, be coming back to school and finish my degree next year.”
He is fourth year of studying hotel and food administration and hopes to one day be a general manager of a hotel.
