From the gridiron comes word Carson’s a Ticat.
Former Ballenas Whaler Carson Rockhill was selected 13th overall in the 2012 CFL draft last Thursday by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The first two rounds of the annual draft, held May 3, were broadcast live on TSN. Rockhill was selected in the second round, and hearing his name called live on the sports network, “was pretty cool.”
“It’s going really good,” an upbeat Rockhill said this week from back in Alberta when The News caught up him.
A four-year starter with the University of Calgary Dinos football team, the 6’6” 300 pound offensive lineman has two years of eligibility remaining.
Back in February, Rockhill was one of two Canadian-born players invited to suit up at the inaugural Players All-Star Classic in Little Rock, Arkansas. In March he was invited to the CFL Evaluation Camp in Toronto.
Carson, who turns 22 the end of June, started playing football at the age of 10 when he joined his brother Brandon on the Parksville Packers, and has played every season since.
“I’m really excited,” he said of the selection, explaining all his focus right now is preparing for the Tiger-Cats training camp that starts up the end of the month.
“You know there’s a lot of good players going to be there, it’s going to be
tough to make the team, but it’s football and anything can happen,” he said, explaining how injuries are part of the nature of the beast and that “you may not expect to start, but you might be given a shot at it, so you better be ready.”
Three of his Dinos’ teammates were also drafted this year.
This will be the final season of football for storied old Ivor Wynne Stadium. Originally constructed in 1928 to host the 1930 British Empire Games, the stadium has been the home of the Tiger-Cats since 1950.