August 5, 2020 9:36 am StettlerLocal.com
Photo submitted by Theren Churchill
On April 30th, 2020, the Toronto Argonauts selected Offensive Lineman, Theren Churchill as the ninth overall pick in the Canadian Football League draft. Churchill’s hometown is Stettler, Alberta, the root of where his football journey began.
It started in grade four when Churchill started playing Peewee football with Stettler’s Minor Football Program and worked his way up to Wm. E. Hay’s Wildcat Football team. Churchill primarily stuck to Stettler Football throughout his Junior High and High School career. The spring after his grade eleven year, he gave Midget Football a shot and noted that it was a good experience and earned him connections with the Edmonton Huskies.
After graduating from Wm. E. Hay, Churchill didn’t know much about Junior Football but he tried out and made the Huskies team. Recruiters didn’t find Churchill until his 3rd year of Junior Football, where he was starting to gain attention with a few different schools across the country. Churchill finished his successful Junior career after four years.
“The CFL started becoming a reality in my last year of Junior” -Theren Churchill, Toronto Argonauts 9th overall draft pick
Regina was where Churchill would spend the next three years of his college football eligibility where his thoughts were focused on getting an education and potentially working up to the CFL. After his second year in Regina, it was announced he would play at the East vs West Bowl in Ottawa which awarded him lots of CFL scouting exposure. Churchill finished up his college career in the fall of 2019 and soon began training for the CFL Combine.
Due to COVID-19 Edmonton’s Regional Combine and the National Combine in Toronto were both cancelled as both events were set to take place in the last two weeks of March. Interviews with CFL teams took place all throughout April, which held high significance because players did not have the CFL Combines to rely on.
The CFL draft was what Churchill had been looking forward to ever since setting his sights on making the league. Churchill was at home accompanied by his mother and his sisters via Facetime when in between the commercial break of pick eight and nine, he received a call from Toronto saying he’d been selected.
“My first reaction was wow...my name is really up there!” Churchill stated.
If things return to normal, Churchill will look to make his CFL debut in the 2021-2022 season. Make sure you tune into all Toronto Argonaut games and cheer on Stettler’s very own Theren Churchill!
Photo submitted by Theren Churchill
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