Recently, University of Saskatchewan defensive back Charlie Ringland was selected to the 2021 East-West Bowl Showcase, which brings together over 90 of the top U SPORTS draft-eligible prospects for a week of practices and a combine evaluation camp. The week culminates with the annual prospects game. This year’s in-person event was cancelled due to COVID-19. 

The honour was yet another on Ringland’s impressive U SPORTS resume. He was also the team’s Rookie of the Year as a true freshman in 2018 and won a Hardy Cup that same season. But before Ringland made a name for himself in the green and white, he plied his trade in Winnipeg with the Oak Park Raiders. 

“It was a super fun school,” he says. “It was close to home and all of my friends were there. I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else. Oak Park has great school spirit and they always got a lot of people out to big games. It was a blast.”

A two-sport star in high school, Ringland’s focus was originally on hockey. He helped the Raiders win their first-ever Division 1 city championship in 2016, scoring in a 3-2 win in a series-deciding game three against Vincent Massey. After a few years away from the gridiron, he’d picked football back up in 2015, in an attempt to make further memories with his friends.  

Critical in his development was local training program Recruit Ready, founded a few years prior by former Manitoba Bisons Brad Black and Blair Atkinson. Black was also an alum of Oak Park, and had a passion for giving back to his alma mater. The pair originally started Recruit Ready out of OP’s basement doing weight lifting, eventually transitioning to year-round training which has aided in the progression of countless U SPORTS players, as well as NCAA alum such as former Raider Brady Oliveira.  

“I started going to those Recruit Ready programs and they turned me from an athlete into a football player, which was super helpful, and we went on those seven-on-seven tournaments in the states,” recalls Ringland. “Then in grade 12 [Black] got my name out there to a lot of coaches in U SPORTS programs, so that helped a lot.”

Ringland was a two-way force at quarterback and defensive back for the Raiders in grade ten, whose closing speed and knack for breaking through tight spaces made him a must-see player. All signs pointed towards an impressive varsity debut in 2016, however those plans were halted early in the season after Ringland tore his ACL against Vincent Massey. The play looked like any other. He scrambled to his left on a naked bootleg and tried to evade a few defenders, but out of nowhere his knee buckled underneath him. 

The weeks and months that followed demonstrated Ringland’s character. Instead of complaining of a lost season, he simply got to work and did his job. He spent the remainder of the school year and most of the summer rehabbing, and by August was back to full-on training for his senior season. 

“It wasn’t the worst thing. It sucked. I missed the rest of football season and all of our hockey season as well, but it all worked out in the end. I had a good physiotherapist that got me through all of my rehab,” he says. 

“I was close to 100 percent so I could go full-out with programs like Recruit Ready and I was at ELITE. Once I could run and do cuts, I kind of just did that all summer trying to get ready for the season.”

Ringland showed no signs of a bummed knee in 2017, recording nine interceptions and 37.5 tackles as the Raiders’ starting safety, while also leading the team under centre. His 6’1” frame and textbook closing speed caused problems for teams all season – none more than the Kelvin Clippers in a November tilt at IG Field. 

It was during this contest that Ringland tallied three interceptions. He took one back to the house, bouncing off of five would-be tacklers along the way, while a second included him batting the ball up with his left hand in traffic, coming up with a one-handed grab with his right not long after. 

Not one to boast, Ringland politely noted that his performance was “like any other season”. It’s a fitting answer for one of the nicest people you’re ever going to meet off the field. 

“I’m more of a lead by example type of guy. I’m not too crazy loud or anything like that, but I listen to the coaches and I do what they ask. I try to make plays as best as I can, and I just hope that other people see that as an example to follow, and to set the standard to make sure that we play at a high level,” he noted. 

“I knew what I could do. I came back healthy and everything healed up pretty well so I wasn’t too worried. I just wanted to go out there and have fun for those last eight games of your high school career and whatever happens happens at the end.”

Heading to Huskie territory 

Ringland’s shift to Saskatchewan came courtesy of a “text message out of the blue” by Huskie bench boss Scott Flory. Ringland went for his visit and was impressed by Flory and his coaching staff, which includes positional coach Paul Woldu, a three-time Grey Cup champ and former Huskie. 

“I’ve never had a coach like him,” he says of Flory. 

“He’s a player’s coach and an awesome guy who cares about his team and his players a lot. If you ever need anything he’s always there, and the coaching staff he’s put around him is top notch as well. We’ve got a couple ex-CFLers and Grey Cup champs on there and they all know what they’re talking about because they’ve played at a high level.”

Ringland earned a starting spot at field corner in 2018, fitting right in with a Huskies secondary that included 2021 CFL Draft picks Nelson Lokombo and Josh Hagerty. He had 23 tackles, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and three pass breakups, using his length and athleticism to his advantage. 

“I think it’s my size and being able to run with guys,” he says of what makes him excel at the U SPORTS level. “Not too many guys run behind me. Being a tall 6’1,”, 6’2” type guy and also being a guy who can run, it’s pretty handy to know that you’re just as big or a little bigger than most of the guys you’re going up against.”

Saskatchewan ran the table in the 2018 conference playoffs, knocking off UBC and then Calgary in back-to-back road games to capture the Hardy Cup. In doing so, the Huskies avenged their only three losses during the regular season. 

The Green Dogs’ 43-18 victory over Calgary in the conference final was a textbook performance from their defence. They recorded seven turnovers, including four interceptions of Canada West Player of the Year Adam Sinagra. They also held the Dinos’ dangerous trio of Jalen and Tyson Philpot and Hunter Karl to 107 combined receiving yards while Tyler Chow rushed for over 200. 

“We kind of knew what Calgary was good at that year. They had some electric receivers and a good quarterback. Our coach put in a great game plan to stop that. We were playing deep coverage to make sure that they didn’t get over top of us,” says Ringland. 

“The defence and offence played great and it all just came together perfectly. It was really fun, especially getting that chance to go out to Western and play in the Mitchell Bowl. It was really cool to see all of that, especially in my first year because now you know what you’re playing for and what you’re working for.”

Saskatchewan returned to the Hardy Cup in 2019, but couldn’t repeat against the Dinos in a 29-4 loss. Ringland enjoyed another spectacular season however, recording 34 tackles, a forced fumble, an interception and three pass breakups at the boundary corner, a position he “had a blast in,” due to the ball coming quicker and being lined up against faster guys.  

“I think that’s probably my favourite spot on the defence right now,” he noted. “I like the competitiveness of corner. You’ve got a guy right in front of you and you’re in his face all of the time.”

Ringland’s first career interception came in textbook fashion. Playing against Alberta, he essentially ran the route of receiver Tanner Buchanan, turning his head to the ball in perfect time to record a diving pick. 

“I do remember it. It was pretty exciting,” he says. 

“I had been snake bitten there for a bit and had dropped a couple, but that one I saw coming and was like there’s no way I’m dropping this. It was awesome. I remember I was just running down the field and turned around and saw the ball coming. I knew it was one that I could get so I kind of just went for it.”

Ringland didn’t know it at the time, but the 2019 season would be he, and the rest of his teammates’ last for well over a year. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancelation of the 2020 campaign, leaving teams across the country to compete in organized scrimmages only. 

The mature Ringland took everything in stride. He’s back at home right now, helping Black out at his group home, and is patiently awaiting further news on the 2021 season, which as of now, is penciled to go ahead as a six-game schedule. 

“Our season got cancelled and we just got to practice all fall. It’s good to get on the field and stuff but obviously you’d love to compete every week instead of practicing against your own guys. I think we’re almost over it. It’s got to end soon. Obviously there’s a lot of things right now that you can’t do that everyone would love to do, but it hasn’t been horrible.”