September 21, 2011
ESKS.com
Rose Mary Phillip
Remember this number: 316,000.
More on that later.
But first, in Alberta, more kids want to be Wayne Gretzky than Gizmo Williams. Corbin Sharun was different.
The Alberta minor football product picked up the pigskin when he was seven-years-old and hasn’t put it down. “I played hockey, but liked football more,” says Sharun whose first team was the Leduc Bobcats.
The kid had skills. Those skills were groomed and grew.
In high school, he won three championships with the Strathcona Lords (2003 – 2005), seeing playing time as quarterback and safety. In 2006, he quarterbacked the North Squad to victory in the annual Senior Bowl High School All-Star Game.
His reign as quarterback continued with the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men. It would be nice to say he sailed through his collegiate career, but dreams are built on the back of adversity. He started in three games and spent the rest of the season as backup. What came next sucked.
“I came home sophomore year of college for spring break and my parents sat down and told me my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer,” says Sharun. “He’s good now. He had surgery and everything cleared up.”
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Do you remember the number from the beginning of the story? Divide it by two and hang on.
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Inspired by his dad and motivated to play, Sharun joined the Edmonton Wildcats. He quickly realized that at five-foot-11 his chances of going pro as quarterback were slim. In hopes of extending his playing life, he switched to defensive back.
Great decision. He finished the 2009 regular season with 25 defensive tackles, five interceptions and 129 yards, including a touchdown and fumble recovery. He was named the Canadian Junior Football League All-Canadian and the Wildcats won the Prairie Football Conference Final.
He was a champ, but was he CFL material?
Throughout his draft year, Sharun had sent his highlight tape across the league. He attended an open tryout with the Eskimos but wasn’t sure that the team he cheered for since childhood had any interest. When the Calgary Stampeders called for a workout, he jumped at the opportunity.
The day he was to drive south, it snowed eight inches, making the QEII potentially deadly. “It was kind of a let down because I didn’t know what was going to happen,” says Sharun.
It worked out. He was drafted in the sixth round (43rd overall) by Edmonton and signed to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth. He said “All of my hard work paid off and my goal, my dream, finally came true.” He vowed to “work [his] butt off” and “do whatever it takes.”
He has.
In 2010, Sharun led the team with 16 special teams tackles. He added a defensive tackle and blocked punt that led to an Eskimo touchdown. When the dust settled on a disappointing season, Sharun was the only non-import defensive back to keep his job.
Today, he is second in the league with 16 special team tackles – three behind Hamilton’s Marc Beswick.
When the Eskimos host the Alouettes on Friday, Sharun will welcome home best friend and Montreal linebacker Curtis Dublanko. The two met during their atom football days. What happens on the field is anybody’s guess. What we know for sure is that glory of minor football will be on full display.
During halftime, the Fort Saskatchewan Storm will take on Sharun’s former team the Leduc Bobcats and the Edmonton Mustangs will take on the Sherwood Park Warriors in the game honoring home grown talent.
It’s part of the Eskimos’ commitment to the community and to minor football.
Throughout the season, several players attend practices for the atom, peewee and bantam levels and specialized clinics. Last month, J.C. Sherritt, Matt Nichols and Samuel Fournier went to Fort McMurray to help build the skill and technique of players in the atom through high school level.
One of the most significant contributions to the community goes back to the number 316,000 or, more accurately, $316,000. That is the proceeds raised last year through 50/50 draws on game day. Divided by two it is $158,000 and that’s what the Edmonton Wildcats and Edmonton Huskies walked away with to help run their operations. Bravo Eskimo Empire. Bravo.