Tanner Green lines versus the BC Lions on June 26, 2019. (Photo: Edmonton Football Team)

By Troy Gillard

LACOMBE NATIVE SHIFTS FOCUS

Green disappointed but hopeful after CFL cancels season

Aug 19, 2020 | 3:18 PM

Tanner Green is glad to finally have some certainty even if he didn’t get the news he was hoping for.

The Lacombe native and former Central Alberta Buccaneers star was slated to suit up for a third year in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Football Team until those plans came to an end on Monday when the CFL officially cancelled its 2020 season.

The 27-year-old admits it was a rollercoaster ride waiting for months to learn whether he’d get the chance to play this year.

“The waiting game was the hardest part,” he said Wednesday. “Of course, I was always hoping we’d get on the field. It just seemed to ebb and flow with whatever news was popping out about what was going on.”

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After spending much of the year wondering what exactly was going on behind the scenes, Green says communication between the players’ association and league officials improved towards the end.

“They were really working hard and were on the same page to try to get us a season,” he surmised. “Randy (Ambrosie, CFL Commissioner) talked about how he regrets some of the communication breakdowns and how he hopes to fix that moving forward. That’s all we can hope for.”

Green was especially looking forward to increased opportunities on the offensive side of the ball after establishing himself as a solid special teams contributor during his first two seasons.

“They’d released a preseason depth chart and I saw my name at the top of the list for fullback, so I was really excited to see that this was going to be my chance to step up and contribute on offence this year. But what can you do.”

He’ll also have to wait a bit longer to get to know his new head coach, Scott Milanovich.

“I was really excited to get to know him better during the season. I think he’s going to be a very great addition to the team and lead us in the right direction. I’m sad that we couldn’t get to see it this year but we’re all going to keep working and come back and be ready next year.”

With the 2020 season cancelled Green says he can now focus more time on renovating the house he and his wife recently bought in Lacombe and on getting involved with local football teams this fall, however that might look in light of the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place. He’ll also look to get back to running football programs at The Dome sports facility in Gasoline Alley.

“I’m just going to make the best of it. One thing I can do is have more of an offseason to become more ‘freakishly athletic’ for next season.”