 |
| Jaydn Pingue celebrates a Hilltops win last season. |
When his squad goes up against their provincial rivals the
Regina Thunder, some Regina players often remind Pingue that he is a model of another
kind. Away from the football field, Pingue has worked as a fashion model.
In games against Regina, the 22-year-old receives his share
of trash talking from the Thunder players about his off-field exploits. Odds
are high he might hear more of those jabs on Sunday, when the five time
defending Canadian Junior Football League champion Hilltops face the Thunder at
3 p.m. at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
“I don’t
even pay attention to what they are saying,” said Pingue. “It is irrelevant.”
It should be noted that Pingue does look real good in his
photo shoots, if one is being honest. When asked about how he feels he looks in
his modeling photos, Pingue looked embarrassed at the query, chuckled and
shrugged it off.
 |
| Jadyn Pingue, left, defends a pass against the Thunder last season. |
“I’m not
paying attention to any talk. I’m just focused on getting the ‘W.’”
Now in his fifth and final season with the Hilltops, Pingue is starting on defence for the first time in his CJFL career. During his time with the venerable CJFL Saskatoon side, Pingue spent the first four years playing behind a deep linebackers group.
Now in his fifth and final season with the Hilltops, Pingue is starting on defence for the first time in his CJFL career. During his time with the venerable CJFL Saskatoon side, Pingue spent the first four years playing behind a deep linebackers group.
The
graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School Crusaders football team was
substituted in frequently on defence during his first four seasons, while mainly
playing special teams.
Playing on a starting linebacker group that includes
fellow fifth-year Riley Keating and Brady Fossen, who is in his third year,
Pingue strives to be like the star veterans he played behind that have since
graduated from the program.
 |
| Jadyn Pingue all set at outside linebacker last season. |
“It has
been a really good experience,” said Pingue, who stands 6-feet and weighs 205
pounds. “I have been able to learn from guys like Cole Benkic, Cam Schnitzler,
Adam Benkic, Cody Peters, Bobby Ehman, just like great guys and great
teammates.
“It has
been my first year starting, but I’ve gotten a lot of playing time as well
whether it has been on special teams or even on defence as well. I have big
names to live up to. There have been legends before me.
“It is just
next man in. It is kind of just like a responsibility I knew that was coming. I
just want to live up to those expectations and be able to perform exceptionally
on the field.”
In the
Hilltops regular season opening 34-20 over the Rifles in Winnipeg last Sunday,
Pingue had six total tackles and a fumble recovery.
 |
| Jadyn Pingue drops into pass coverage for the Hilltops last season. |
“Some days
I think he looks good,” said Sargeant, who needs one more win for 200 head
coaching victories combined in the CJFL regular season and post-season. “Some
days, he makes me real mad, because I have high expectations.
“I just
care about Jadyn (Pingue) as a person and as a player, and you know what, that
other stuff outside of football, good for him. I need him to be a star on game
day. That is all I am asking.”
While
trying to get Pingue to play at an even higher level, Sargeant said his veteran
is making the most of his opportunity to be a starter.
The legendary sideline
boss said the Hilltops fifth years have shown great loyalty to the team, and
the team has to ensure to reflect that loyalty back on to the players.
 |
| Jadyn Pingue makes a tackle in last year’s Canadian Bowl. |
Sargeant
said he and the coaching staff have to do their part to help Pingue try to get
as close to playing towards perfection as possible.
“Jadyn
(Pingue) is a dynamic athlete,” said Sargeant. “He has been a great special
teamer.
“Now he
gets the opportunity to shine and thrive as a linebacker, but yet we are still
having him play a lot of the special teams as well. He was a presence out on
the field on Sunday (against the Rifles). He was all over the place.
“We just
want to harness him a bit, coach him a little bit smarter and make sure he is
in the right spots when he does that. He is going to be a dynamic playmaker in
the PFC, and he already is.”
 |
| Jadyn Pingue (#45) celebrates making a defensive play last season. |
“There is a
lot of stuff that we have to learn,” said Pingue. “Winnipeg played us physical.
“They had
like four months to prepare for us. I’m pretty sure that game was circled on
their calendar the second they saw it. We have a lot to work on, but I’m
excited to go against a team like Regina.
“They
always play us tough. It is going to be a great learning experience whatever
the outcome is. Honestly, I’m just excited to play this game.”
The
Hilltops enter the contest with the Thunder having won their last 20 straight
games including the regular season and playoffs and last 24 straight on the
road including three victories in the CJFL title game – the Canadian Bowl.
 |
| Jadyn Pingue (#45) wants to enjoy more championship moment like this. |
Ultimately, Pingue would like to be able to experience what the Hilltops eight graduating fifth-year players did last season in winning a CJFL title in all five years they played in the league. At the moment, that group are the only ones to accomplish that feat, and Pingue would like to have that feeling.
“There is
no question I want to have that experience as well,” said Pingue. “I don’t want
to be known as the team that couldn’t keep the streak going.
“It is just
taking it one week at a time. I’m not too focused on that. It would be great to
go out with another ring.”
Getzlaf guest speaker at Hilltops End Zone
Dinner
 |
| Chris Getzlaf on the Taylor Field big screen in 2013. |
Getzlaf
suited up as a receiver in 11 CFL campaigns from 2007 to 2017 with the Hamilton
Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos. The Regina, Sask.,
product spent the bulk of that time with his hometown Roughriders.
Over his 11
campaigns, Getzlaf appeared in 147 regular season games hauling in 414 passes
for 6,192 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Before
joining the CFL, Getzlaf played two seasons with the University of Regina Rams
in 2005 and 2006 in the U Sports ranks. Before his time with the Rams, Getzlaf
played with the Regina Thunder, when the team was still called the Prairie Thunder.
The Prairie
Thunder name was last used in the 2004 CJFL campaign.
When he was
a member of the Roughriders, Getzlaf was a fan favourite right across
Saskatchewan. Throughout his football career, Getzlaf was known as the quiet
type who led by example.
 |
| Chris Getzlaf make a training camp catch in 2015. |
The End Zone
Dinner is slated for Saturday, Sept. 7 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. The
gates open at 4:15 p.m. and the meal is served at 5:15 p.m. The dinner will include
a silent auction.
Tickets are
$100 per single person or a table of nine can be purchases for $825.
Tickets to the dinner also include game tickets to that
night’s CJFL regular season contest between the Hilltops and Thunder. There
will be a pre-game address at the End Zone Dinner by Hilltops head coach Tom
Sargeant.
Those looking to purchase tickets can do so by clicking
right here.
If you have any
comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them
to stankssports@gmail.com.
-------
