By Geoff Crane
Stampeders.com

For Shane Bergman, a Calgary Stampeders rookie offensive lineman, his first series in BC Place against the Lions seemed to last forever.

It was a moment no greenhorn ever forgets — the first time they take the field in real game action.

For Bergman – who was selected 48th overall in the 2013 CFL Canadian Draft – it took 19 weeks to take his first professional snap, but the wait was worth it.

“This is the time all the hard works pays off,” said a wide-eyed Bergman in the visitors’ locker room after Calgary’s 26-7 loss to the BC Lions.

“You work hard at practice every day waiting for your chance and when you get it, you want to take advantage. It was a great feeling to play in my first game.”

In a game shy of bright spots for the Red and White, the solid effort of a patchwork offensive line continued to be a great story at the end of a tough regular season.

With an unusual amount of injuries to the o-line, players like Bergman have had to be ready to step in the moment their number is called.

Bergman credits a lot of his success during his debut to his fellow teammates.

“Those guys (the other offensive linemen) have helped me so much and they’ve supported me,” he said. “I’ve learned so much from them from working with them all season — I can’t believe how far I’ve come in a year thanks to what I’ve learned. I just can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me.”

Nobody knows that feeling better than fellow o-line rookie and Bergman roommate Brett Jones.

“The veterans on this team, they definitely help out all of us,” said Jones, who has been nominated for the CFL’s Rookie of the Year award.

“That’s one of the reasons I was even able to play was because of guys like Jon Gott and (Dimitri) Tsoumpas and Stanley (Bryant) and those guys. They really want us to have success and it’s bigger than each one of us, it’s about the team,” said the rookie centre.

Even Jones, who likes to refer to Bergman as “Polar Bear” — no doubt a reference to his 6’7 358 lbs frame — did what he could to make sure his teammate was ready to step in and step up.

“Shane’s worked really hard this season,” he said. “It’s been tough for him to not be able to play so far. I’m his roommate so we definitely talk about it lots and I was so proud of him and he did a great job. He can definitely play in this league.”

With the regular season over and a tough Western Final ahead in what will be a chilly McMahon Stadium, it’s certainly good the Stamps have “Polar Bear” Bergman ready to step in and make an impact.