Riders’ Council leaving ‘no stone unturned’ in football career

Brandon Council loves the game of football – and he wasn’t going to let injuries dictate his football career.

A hand injury forced him to miss most of the 2018 season as a member of the University of Akron Zips.

In 2020, during his first season as a member of the Auburn University Tigers, he suffered a torn labrum before the season. Then, while playing through that, he suffered a torn ACL.

“It’s my love of the game. A lot of people would probably quit with the injuries I had, but I love the game so much,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive tackle said. “I wouldn’t leave a stone unturned in this life because you only get to do it once so why not shoot for the stars?”

Council will try to keep new starting quarterback Mason Fine upright on Saturday against the B.C. Lions. Kickoff for the CFL game is set for 5 p.m.

For the 26-year-old product of Tar Heel, N.C., the thing that attracted him to the football field was his sheer size compared to other kids he grew up with.

“It was the sport I got to take my anger out on and not get in trouble doing it,” Council said. “I started doing that and fell in love with it since peewee ball. I’m from a small town. I was like 6-foot-2 in middle school and everyone else was like 5-foot-8 or 5-foot-7.”

While Council fell in love with football, he did play other sports after the encouragement of his parents.

“My family as a whole pushed me to play sports. I was really into baseball growing up and I was really good at it,” Council said. “Just keep playing sports, keep you out of trouble and something good will happen.”

But after high school, Council didn’t expect he would get a chance to continue playing sports and was planning on becoming a welder.

But Akron came calling to offer him a chance to put on the pads.

“I just got a call one day and they said, ‘Hey, we think you could be a fit to play college ball,’ and I thought if everything was paid for, why not?” Council recalled. “I went out there and did what I did and it turned out great.”

He suited up for 25 games – 24 of them as a starter – for the Zips.

“That was the building block for me. That was still a D1 college at the time and FBS,” Council said. “It was different, it was cold – I mean probably not cold compared to Canada – but it helped me develop as a player and show me what I needed to do, how I needed to act and how to play to take my game to the next level.”

It was there that he showed his versatility along the offensive line, lining up at left tackle, right tackle, left guard and centre.

“It just kind of happened – it wasn’t something that was planned,” Council said. “I just picked up on it here and there just watching practice.

“If someone got hurt and they didn’t have someone for that position, they would ask, ‘Could you do it?’ Of course, I couldn’t at the time but at the time I told them I could. I just happened to be good at them.

“It’s just repetition and I became good at all the positions. I think you need that – it’s very valuable.”

Council eventually made the jump to play for one of the more well-known college football programs at Auburn with the Tigers.

“I graduated in three years at Akron and I thought, ‘You know what? I’m going to try and see if I can go to bigger competition and see if I could dominate,’ ” Council said. “I did it, I stuck my name out there and almost every school in the country came calling.

“It came down to Auburn, Baylor and Southern Cal and Auburn just felt like home. I went there and don’t regret it at all.”

At Auburn, he lined up at all five positions along the line over 27 games and was named Auburn’s offensive lineman of the year in 2022.

“The SEC is trenches-made – it’s all about the trenches. That’s what separates the SEC from everybody else,” Council said. “It was a battle. You had to bring your A game every play because if you didn’t, you would get embarrassed and nobody wants that.

“It was a dogfight and gets you ready for the pros.”

While Council wasn’t drafted by an NFL team, he was able to attend minicamp with the New York Jets this past off-season.

“It taught me how to be a professional – go in there, get your work done, stay extra, learn how to communicate the plays and stuff,” Council said. “It was cool to be a part of the NFL system.”

Council said the Riders kept in contact with him throughout the draft process.

“I didn’t want to leave no stone unturned,” Council said. “Now I’m here and I’m grateful for it.”

While he only signed with the team on May 25, Council ended up starting for the team in the regular-season opener – a 17-13 win over the Edmonton Elks on June 11.

“That’s a part of football. Stuff happens and it’s next man up,” Council said. “Everybody that is here could be a starter so it’s like play that role and practise that role like you’re a starter.

“When it happens, it’s going to come natural to you.”

He’s excited to make his fourth start in a young CFL career against the Lions and defensive Mathieu Betts, who leads the league with nine sacks.

“That’s a good defence. We just have to have that chemistry as an O-line when we are in there and we will communicate,” Council said. “I believe we are going to get it done.”