I thought it was a great opportunity to further my football career and I wanted to play some CIS football and the Rams, they鈥檙e giving me that opportunity...
鈥� Layne Hull
Former YRHS Raider player
Yet another former YRHS Raider football player has reached the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) ranks, as 21-year-old linebacker Layne Hull recently accepted a full scholarship to play football for the University of Regina Rams starting in the 2016 CIS season.
However the Rams weren鈥檛 the only team interested in Hull鈥檚 services. After a breakout season that saw the linebacker amass 14 solo tackles, seven assisted tackles, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble through 10 regular season games, and then adding 14 more tackles, a blocked punt for a touchdown and two interceptions over three playoff games that included winning the Larry Wruck Defensive Player of the Game in the CJFL National Championship game, Hull said that several other schools showed interest; but for him the decision to join the Rams was very easy. 鈥淚t was actually a really easy decision for me,鈥� said the newest signee of the Rams. 鈥淩egina is nice and close to home, close enough so that my family and friends can come watch me and I can be home every weekend so it鈥檚 nice that way when compared to 15 hours from Kelowna to Yorkton.鈥�
Hull also said that he chose Regina over some other options due to their consistent attempts to recruit him. 鈥淐oach Gibson (U of R head coach Mike Gibson) came down in the middle of last season and he talked to a couple of us to see if we were interested in playing football at the U of R,鈥� mentioned Hull, adding that Okanagan Sun coach and former Saskatchewan Roughrider Jamie Boreham helped set up communications between Hull and Gibson. 鈥淗e (coach Boreham) knew Gibson really well and he talked to Gibson for me and then Gibson called me and we got on from there and he offered me a full-ride scholarship.
鈥淚 thought it was a great opportunity to further my football career and I wanted to play some CIS football and the Rams, they鈥檙e giving me that opportunity so I made my decision and I鈥檓 going there next year for football.鈥�
Hull said he expects to make an immediate impact on the Rams, who had the fourth worst defence in the CIS last year. 鈥淐oach Gibson told me that if I come to Regina he鈥檒l throw me in as a starting halfback, so that鈥檚 great because I told him at the beginning that if I鈥檓 coming then I鈥檓 coming to play; I鈥檓 not coming to sit on the bench,鈥� said Hull. 鈥淗e went along with it and he said 鈥榝or sure, as long as you compete we鈥檒l have no problems鈥�, so I think a starting role will be perfect for me there.鈥�
As for the education side of it, Hull says that as of yet, he鈥檚 not quite sure what he鈥檒l major in, although he is leaning towards a few options. 鈥淗onestly I鈥檓 not even too sure. I鈥檓 going to figure that out in January when I go for a tour of the university,鈥� suggested the Willowbrook-raised football player. 鈥淚鈥檒l figure it out then, but I鈥檓 kind of looking at more construction stuff like architecture or even business; something along those lines.鈥�
