If you’ve been following the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) scene over the last number of years, then you know who Rylan Pats is. 

The hybrid defensive back and linebacker has been a tried and true member of the Oakbank football scene for quite some time. In his sophomore year in 2021, he started at safety as the expansion Springfield Sabres won the Division 2 title in just their second year of play (not factoring COVID). 

The Sabres not only won the D2 title, they did it in undefeated fashion. Over their first two years in the WHSFL, they were undefeated in the regular season. Despite a loss to Churchill in the 2019 D3 semi-finals, they moved up, capping an incredible year with an upset of Murdoch in the 2021 championship, a brutally cold contest held at East Side Eagles field in the blustering snow. 

Winning that game was not easy. The Sabres faced off against the league’s best rushing attack, led by the twin towers Drew and Jordin Boucher on the offensive line, and the division’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, running back Daniel Wilson. In a gritty showing, the upstart program used their unconventional offensive attack (wing-t) and aggressive but intelligent defence to take the win.

“The biggest thing for SCI is they’ve always been considered underdogs, up until that season I’d argue. Going into that game we were considered the underdog, [Murdoch] had been scoring a lot. I remember on the bus as we were going out, our coach just mentioned hey, whatever happens, let’s just go out and play,” recalls Pats. 

“Everyone came together. I think the biggest thing I remember was in the fourth quarter. [Running back] Josh Schers, he took a really nice long one and that solidified us winning. It kind of dawned on me that we’d done it, and overcome the adversity of being this D3 program that had moved up. We went on a pretty good streak, 7-0. I still take a lot of pride in that, but at the same time you have to move on and understand that it’s a new season.”

And while Pats prefers not to dwell on the past, it’s important to evaluate how far he’s come as a player and person since he first strapped on the pads. 

Known as a defensive stopper, Pats has never been one to shy away from contact. Once he reads a quarterback and tracks the football, it’s difficult for receivers to hold onto the pigskin. His aggressiveness can be compared to former Winnipeg Blue Bombers all-star and Vanier Cup champion Taylor Loffler. When he came downhill, players were rarely the same after contact. 

Long story short, Pats isn’t intimidated by anyone. He’ll lay the leather down whether you’re 5’5” or 6’5” and he’ll do it with conviction. 

‘It’s become everything’

But it hasn’t always been that way. When he was younger, the crafty defensive back didn’t think much about playing the great sport of football. But ever since he joined up, his life has changed for the better.

“Initially it was the idea of getting out there and doing something that I was uncomfortable doing. Growing up I was really scared of contact and scared of being hurt. And then I started playing football, which is a big contact sport. It helped me break out of my shell and I was able to find something that I enjoyed putting hours into. It’s been like that ever since,” he says. 

“It’s become everything. Our whole family wakes up on Sunday and we watch football.”

Speaking of family, they mean “everything” to Pats. His parents are his role models, and he hopes to use football to provide for them when he gets older. 

“Growing up in a small town, they really showed me the ins and outs of who to become, helping guide me on my path. They’ve made so many sacrifices for me to be on specific teams, driving me to practices, whatever it may be. My dream is to retire them obviously. I’d love to make it super easy for them and give them whatever they ever wanted, because that’s what they’ve done for me.”

The next step in that journey is happening right now. 

Pats, who enters his senior season this fall, is currently battling for a spot on Team Manitoba, who will play in the Canada Cup later this summer. He made the first cuts, as the secondary was narrowed down to 11 players. 

The process has been eye-opening thus far. Pats has been lining up at halfback, a spot he’s less familiar with compared to safety. There’s also coverages that he hasn’t seen, as Springfield is a run-heavy team. Nonetheless, he’s taking the experience one day at a time, learning from one of the country’s best defensive back coaches in Sean Oleksewycz, also the DB coach and recruiting coordinator for the Manitoba Bisons. 

“Coming from a school that doesn’t throw the ball a whole lot, the biggest thing is taking mental reps, and asking people around you. Even today I was asking a lot of the guys with the St. Paul’s helmets how the coverages work,” he notes. 

“When I go on the field, I’d throw a thumbs up just to make sure I know what I’m doing and understand. But I think the biggest thing is mental reps. Even if you’re not on the field, you have to be paying attention. The same thing goes for practicing. The last thing you want to do is go on the field and not know what you’re doing.”

Pats played some linebacker as a grade 11, so he’s no stranger to making adjustments. Blessed with an incredible work ethic, he’ll be just fine.

What stands out the most is his maturity from his sophomore year to now. Previously, Pats was a player who ran around with reckless abandon, hitting anything and everything. As he’s gotten older, he’s understood that being cerebral is just as important as making a big play. Sometimes that big play costs a team more than simply being in the right spot. 

And that awareness of what’s needed will suit him as he goes further with Team Manitoba, into his senior year and beyond. 

“I’m trying to educate myself every day and try to get better in any way I can. I’m really looking at how people carry themselves and the way they’re acting when things go wrong. I’m trying to also control myself. I sometimes have a bit of an anger issue. I can get upset and start yelling. I’m just trying to control that and be content with where I’m at, slow down my head and be in the moment.”