It’s exciting to be with a new team. Everyone is professional here and everything is so organized.

The new playbook is a little bit much to grasp in one day but I’m putting in as much time as I can and asking the questions. I’m getting a lot of help and a lot of answers from the coaches and the other players.

I played college football at Saint Mary’s with Karl McCartney but other than that, everyone is really new to me. I’m trying to remember all the new faces and everybody is being really nice about it.

Tim St. Pierre also went to Saint Mary’s but he left the year before I arrived. Saint Mary’s is a great program — all across the league, there’s representation with Saint Mary’s players. I’m pretty proud to be a part of that program. It was a really good experience and I’m glad I chose to go there.

Before that, I played junior football in Edmonton for five years, went to Saint Mary’s and played there for three seasons and then I played with the Montreal Alouettes last season.

My whole football career since high school, I’ve always had to overcome obstacles. I wasn’t a big recruit at any level and I wasn’t drafted in the CFL. It’s not like it gives me extra motivation — it’s the only way that I know as far as getting up the ladder so I just go with it.

It felt good to play a full rookie season last year in the CFL. It gave me confidence but at the same time, I got let go by Montreal and it just put me back to Square One and now I have to battle up that hill again.

Jeff Hecht, #27
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