2012 Training Camp
June 20, 2012
Evan Daum
Edmonton Journal
Nate Coehoorn has come a long way, on and off the field.
The former University of Calgary Dino is exactly where he wants to be in his second season with the Edmonton Eskimos after being selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 Canadian college draft.
Coehoorn is poised to start at wide receiver after spending the majority of his rookie season on special teams.
With the departure of fellow Canadian Andrew Nowacki, who was released in the off-season, Edmonton is hoping Coehoorn fills the gap.
“I worked my butt off all off-season. I’ve been working hard all training camp,” Coehoorn said. “It’s my job to lose now, so I’m just going to keep working hard, making plays and see what happens.”
“Absolutely ecstatic,” Eskimo Head Coach Kavis Reed said of Coehoorn’s training camp. “The decision not to bring Andrew Nowacki back was, in most part, because of the way Nate Coehoorn played at the last part of the season and the way he worked out and trained his body throughout the off-season.”
Becoming an everyday pro in only his second season would be quite an accomplishment for the Medicine Hat native, but it doesn’t surprise Blake Nill, Coehoorn’s former coach at the U of C.
“He was a good kid. A guy who I think bought in from Day 1 and he came in and improved each and every day,” said Nill, who coached Coehoorn from 2007-10. “I can remember talking to pro teams when his draft was coming up and they asked me, ‘What are you going to get with Coehoorn?’ and I said, ‘You’re going to get the kind of kid who’s going to work hard and do what he’s told.’
“I think you’re seeing that with the Eskimos right now.”
In Calgary, Coehoorn developed into one of the country’s best receivers. He is a three-time Canada West allstar and second on the Dinos’ all-time receptions list.
“He maybe came in not understanding what it meant fully to be a university player,” Nill said. “I think his maturity level wasn’t what it needed to be and that’s typical for our game, but over the years, you could see his maturity develop, his work ethic develop, and I think his ability to make good decisions all improved. Consequently, he became the football player he is.”
Coehoorn, for one, knows how far he’s come as a player since he joined the Dinos, and remains in close contact with his former coach.
“I got there and I thought I could still play football the junior way, so to speak, and he really straightened me out fast,” Coehoorn said. “It was awesome playing in Calgary. As soon as coach Nill got a hold of me, he definitely turned me into the football player that I am today. He taught me really good work ethic and just my attitude and being a better man altogether.”
Not only has Coehoorn matured into a player ready to make an impact for the Eskimos, he’s also taken the next step in his life away from the game after getting married in the off-season.
“If you had talked to me four or five years ago, I probably would’ve said I wouldn’t be getting married at 25, so yeah, it’s a blessing being married to her. She’s awesome and the love of my life,” Coehoorn said about his wife, Ali.
Nill isn’t surprised by Coehoorn’s progression and ability to take advantage of the experiences, both good and bad.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Nathan and, even now, he texts me all the time. Last year, he texted me and told me he had a bad game on special teams and I said, ‘Look, those kind of things just aren’t acceptable.’ I think the next week he was put on injured reserve and sat for a few games, so he learns well,” Nill said.
“This is what he wants to do and he will give the Eskimos a great commitment and great effort.”
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