U of R Rams' Sombach and Mimbs hoping to impress at CFL Combine

Athletes are busy getting a dose of the Canadian Football League lifestyle at the CFL Combine this week in Winnipeg.

The 100 young men have been showcasing their skills for league personnel, coaches, general managers, and scouts. That includes numerous fitness tests such as the bench press, 40 yard-dash and verticals jump.

Two members of the University of Regina Rams are participating, Jackson Sombach and D’Sean Mimbs.

“I’m a short dude and I want to show them my height doesn’t really matter,” said Sombach ahead of the fitness tests. “I think if you can ball, you can ball, I just want to show that my height doesn’t really matter and I can still cover people really well.”

The competition is fierce and there are plenty of athletes to get through the event, which Sombach says has its drawbacks.

“I think the hardest part is rewarding up. When you’re doing all the tests, you have like six throughout the day. You’ll go and then there will be another one 20 minutes later. Obviously there’s a lot of participants so I think it’s tough staying mentally in it and having so much time in between having to go again,” Sombach said.

His efforts paid off in the 40 yard-dash as he finished in the top 10.

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Mimbs said he was most looking forward to the 40-yard dash because he has been working really hard on his speed. However he did well in the ‘Broad’ and ‘Vertical’ placing third and tying for fourth respectively in those categories.

However, Mimbs did not participate in the 40 and some other tests due to “unforeseen circumstances,” according to CFL Media.

Even if he is taken out of the on-field work there is still the interview portion of the combine. Athletes have the opportunity to sit down with general managers and coaches from all nine of the CFL squads to make an impression off the field.

“I want to get to know these guys on a deeper level outside of what you see on film and sometime you can figure out part of their mental makeup and the reason why they play the way they do. I think a lot of it too is kind of getting behind the helmet just you know digging a little bit deeper personally with some of these guys,” Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace said.

Mimbs said one question he had been asked was if he felt overshadowed by his dad. Mimbs is the son of former CFL star running back, Robert Mimbs, who played for six seasons. In 1990 and 1991 he led the league in rushing yards. He even set the record for yards from scrimmage with 2,207 in 1991.

“I was like, ‘No, he’s been helpful with me in everything in football. I don’t think I would ever feel overshadowed by him,’” Mimbs shared on his response.

“Don’t get distracted by everything going on. Focus on me and I know what I’m capable of and just keep moving forward,” he added on what advice his dad gave him before the combine.

More information on the combine and player’s results can be found here.

The event will wrap up on Sunday, Mar. 24.