Zach Rensby is excited about his future with the Regina Rams' football team for a number of reasons.
Aside from the obvious personal satisfaction from cracking the Canadian Interuniversity Sport squad, Rensby knows his feat is a massive plus for the Estevan Elecs and Estevan Minor Football.
Rensby was asked to join the team after an impressive showing at their 2011 spring camp held the weekend of April 9.
"It's been a dream of mine since I was a little boy to play university football," said the former Elec. "I wanted to try to play at the next level and see how far football can take me in life."
Rensby, 17, was one of two Estevan players trying out for the Rams. Linebacker Michael Bittman, recently named Estevan's male athlete of the year, was unsuccessful in his bid to crack the roster.
Rensby lined up at a number of positions on both sides of the ball during his high school career, but the Rams plan to mould him as a defensive tackle.
He will likely redshirt his first year in order to "slowly get into the team and learn the defensive schemes, just to learn the position inside and out and learn from the veteran guys on the D-line," he commented.
Rensby will spend the summer months leading up to training camp following a workout routine the Rams will give him.
Elecs head coach Marco Ricci said Rensby's versatility and raw talent makes him an asset to the Rams. He also spent time at linebacker and fullback during his time with the ECS squad.
"The Rams see a lot of potential in him. We were able to move him around because of his size and ability," said Ricci. "He's the type of guy that if you ask him to do something, he does it without asking questions."
Rensby was one of seven high school players in the province to make the Rams - no small achievement for an Elecs program still in its infancy.
Rensby now becomes essentially a poster boy for the city's minor football program working in tandem with the Elecs, having gone through the system and on to bigger things.
"It's definitely a big honour. It's a huge opportunity not only for me, but for all the younger kids in minor football," he said. "It gives them an aspiration that they can go play university football for whatever team lets their dream come true."
Meanwhile, four Elecs players attended the second round of tryouts for the Â鶹´«Ã½AV squad for the 2011 Ed Henick Senior Bowl, the annual all-star game for grads in the province.
Rensby, Bittman, defensive lineman Kohl Peterson and receiver Logan Senchuk attended tryouts held Sunday at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
The Elecs have never placed a player on a Senior Bowl roster.
The teams are expected to be announced Thursday, with the game being played May 23 at Mosaic Stadium.
For Rensby and Bittman, the competition at the Rams camp no doubt gave them a leg up at the Senior Bowl tryouts.
"The experience of the returning players they had definitely taught me a lot of new things and gave me a lot of things to work on. Overall, the experience made me a much better player than I was going into the camp," said Rensby.
