Solomon back on home turf


By Tim Switzer, The Leader-PostJuly 25, 2009

PRAIRIE FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

It's not easy to walk away from a national championship team, but Kolten Solomon has a bigger plan in mind.

The Regina product spent the 2008 football season with the Vancouver Island Raiders -- based in Nanaimo -- and helped them win a Canadian Junior Football League title.

This season, Solomon has returned home and will suit up for the Prairie Football Conference's Regina Thunder, which opened its training camp on Friday at Scotty Livingstone Field.

The idea, explained Solomon, is to return to classes at the University of Regina this fall so he can eventually rejoin the Rams football club.

"I wasn't going to go to school in Nanaimo, so this works good," Solomon said. "It was tough to leave, but now my parents can watch me play. It was really good (in Nanaimo), I met a lot of cool people and the weather is just phenomenal."

Solomon spent the 2007 campaign with the Rams after a standout career with the Sheldon-Williams Spartans. He had 21 receptions for 259 yards and three touchdowns in his lone season with the Rams, but could not return for a second after he didn't earn enough credit hours during the year.

"It sucked, really," said Solomon, who spent the early part of this year playing basketball with the Medicine Hat College Rattlers. "It was a passing offence, which I like to be in as a receiver. I thought about taking the year off football and just going to school, but Nanaimo called me. I went out there and it worked out pretty good."

Since he can play two seasons of junior football without it affecting his CIS eligibility, Solomon elected to join the Thunder so he could get his university legs back under him and be close to home.

Thunder coaches couldn't be happier.

"He's smart, he's fast and he's a competitor so I think he's going to add a dynamic aspect to our offence," said Stefan Endsin, the Thunder's offensive co-ordinator, who served in the same capacity with Sheldon-Williams during Solomon's three seasons with the Spartans.

The Thunder could be in need of a breakout receiver. Rory Kohlert, the team's leading receiver the last two seasons, is leaning toward returning to the Saskatchewan Huskies, whom he originally joined after graduating from Winston Knoll Collegiate.

Solomon could easily fill that role.

"It's funny how rumours (start) for people that don't know him and think he's aloof or not a hard worker -- that stuff is completely false," said Endsin. "Knowing him from the three years we had him, the kid works hard, he's a good football player and a good person. I like coaching him."

RUMBLINGS: The Thunder added another former U of R athlete for the 2009 season. Austin Bates, another Sheldon product who played for the Cougars men's basketball team last season, has joined the Thunder as a linebacker. He plans to remain enrolled at the U of R but won't play basketball ... Two-a-day practices are to be held today and Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

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