Luke Turner, who plays for the Assiniboia High School Rockets football team, was drafted by the Regina Rams football club on October 24 in Regina.
Turner began his football career seven years ago in Grade 5 playing with the Pee Wee Rockets. He was drawn to the sport of football for its team aspect. “I enjoy football because it represents a team aspect of life where everyone does their job and things go well,” he said. Over his years of playing football, his parents have supported him since he first joined the pee wee team. The family lives near Wood Mountain.
The Rams have had their eye on the Assiniboian defensive linesman for several years, watching him develop his skills and advance through minor football. Turner is now in Grade 12 at Assiniboia high school, and has played his last season with the Rockets.
He helped his team-mates make great gains during the short season and advance through two playoff rounds before falling to Wynyard on October 21. The Rockets have been in a building year with an influx of new players. Turner says that he “zones out the losses” and “play the game I love.”
The season is short for 6-man football and the Rockets season ended in October. But for Turner, the football season continues through most if the year and he does a lot of training outside the Rockets football year. He also plays basketball and is in track in the off-season. Turner has also been playing football with the South Saskatchewan Selects football team since 2012 when the program was first established. The Selects start training in Moose Jaw in late December continuing through to late March-April.
The Selects are made up of the best players from high school teams all across the south of the province. Selects football is an elite full-contact and modified contact winter football program. It conducts camps and development programs to help players to improve their football skills and to get exposure for next level programs. The program has a youth football curriculum designed for multiple age levels and experience. Among the coaches are the likes of former football greats such as Khari Jones and long-time coaches like Derek Lamar.
The Rams got to know Turner better when he was playing for the Selects during a tournament in Florida attended by the Rams offensive and defensive coaches. Sheldon Gray defensive coordinator for the U-18 teams was at the tournament and he brings a lot of character to the team. For Turner, football is not just a sport. “It is kind of like life – self-discipline, sacrifice and teamwork,” Turner comments about football. He has absorbed the broader principles behind the game and has incorporated them into daily life. This attitude has been instilled by his coaches in Assiniboia, who have cared about developing the person as well as football skills, he explained. “It’s not all about winning, but developing you as a man,” he added.
Turner offers a couple pieces of advice for his Rockets team-mates and those coming up the ranks of school football in Assiniboia. “Don’t focus on what people don’t like about you, but focus on what you can achieve. Strive to achieve nothing less than doing your best,” he said. He also cautions young players that becoming a good football player takes a lot of work, such as training and practices. “You have to love the process more than the outcome. What I mean by that is, if you embrace every practice, every film, then the outcomes will happen,” Turner encourages other high school football players.
As for the future, the newest Rams recruit plans to go to university and study kinesiology and human kinetics. At the same time, he will be joining the Rams football program. Turner sees playing professional football as his end goal. Right now, Turner’s football and academic future certainly seem bright.
