Rosser football star honoured for hard-hitting play

Ryan Minaker hopes to one day play pro ball

He may only be 16 but Ryan Minaker is already amassing quite a collection of football hardware.

Minaker, a resident of Rosser, recently received a best defensive lineman award from his league and a nod for this year’s provincial all-star team.

He’s also won team MVP awards for the last two years.

The St. James Rods player said although he’s won football awards three years out of the past four, he always feels honoured when his name is called.

“There’s a lot of really good players in my league, so it makes me feel pretty special (to win),” said Minaker.

Minaker, who has been playing football for most of his life, says he thinks the reason he’s tapped for awards is because of his ability to bring plays together with a hard-hitting style.

“I think it’s my ability to hit,” he said.

“I can follow plays really well and I make the tackles to make the plays happen.”

Minaker plays in St. James because there are no midget football teams near his rural home. It’s a popular team for rural players, he says, as he has teammates from Woodlands, Stonewall, Stony Mountain, Carmen and other areas.

Talking to The Headliner on the way to a hockey game, the multi-sport athlete says his dream is to one day play professional football, but, as he’s still in high school, it’s not a dream that he expects to come true anytime soon.

“Of course I’d love to make it to pro ball, but that’s still a long way away. For now, I’m just trying to work out and keep in shape so I can play my best.”