CFL Combine chronicles: Wiebe’s projection was picture-perfect

Daniel Wiebe made the write decision.

“In Grade 4, we had a career day and they said, ‘Write on the chalkboard what you want to do.’ I wrote: ‘Football player,’ ” the University of Saskatchewan Huskies receiver recalled.

“They wrote ‘Grade 4’ on the bottom. The photo has been hanging in my room ever since. I’ve always had that there as a reminder of why I’m doing it if times get tough.

“I’ve always had that goal in the back of my mind. As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to do this.”

This, in a current context, is the CFL Combine — which runs from Friday to Sunday in Regina.

On Day 1, he posted the second-fastest short-shuttle time (3.95 seconds) in Combine history. He was also fourth in the vertical jump (37 inches) and fifth in the 40-yard dash (4.52 seconds) on Friday.

Wiebe arrived at the showcase event for this year’s top CFL Draft prospects with a spectacular 2024 campaign on his resume.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound speedster averaged slightly more than 100 receiving yards per game for the Huskies during the 2024 Canada West regular season. He caught 52 passes for 807 yards and seven touchdowns — one of which was an 87-yarder — in eight games.

Extrapolate those totals over 18 games, which is the length of each CFL team’s regular season, and you have (get this!) 117 catches for 1,816 yards and 16 TDs.

“As much as those numbers are cool, winning is a lot better,” Wiebe said. “I’m just glad we were able to do both and that I was able to help the team out.”

Helping out on the family farm was part of the routine when Wiebe was a youngster. His father, Chris, still farms in the Herschel area (just west of Rosetown).

“I grew up on a farm, so there was lots of space to throw the ball around,” Wiebe remembered. “It was just fun from the get-go. I really loved it.

“I’m very big into sports and I’m from a family that’s big into sports. Football was just that sport that really hit.”

He hit the ground running at Rosetown’s Central High School, refining the skills that helped him star for Team Saskatchewan at the 2019 Football Canada Cup in Kingston, Ont. Saskatchewan went undefeated at the national under-18 showcase.

Wiebe was named Saskatchewan’s offensive MVP after catching two long touchdown passes in a 37-0, championship-game victory over Nova Scotia.

Wiebe completed high school football as a member of the Saskatoon Holy Cross Crusaders. He caught two TD passes as Holy Cross defeated the St. Joseph Guardians 33-9 in the 2019 Saskatoon 6A final. His mother, Patty Lang, resides in Saskatoon.

After COVID-19 washed away football seasons across Canada in 2020, Wiebe made his Canada West debut with the Huskies in 2021. He steadily improved before enjoying a breakout season in 2024.

“It felt like there was a lot of growth in those past few years,” he said. “I know I had not produced as much as I was hoping to in the years previous, but I really stuck with the process and there was a lot of support from the team, too.

“I can’t be there alone. It’s a team sport and I’m absolutely grateful for all the guys and for all the highs and lows.

“In my early years, we made it to two Vanier Cups and lost both of them. That sticks with you and it pushes you to be better. I’ve surrounded myself with people who have been a really good support system.

“I’ve really gotten into yoga and into the spiritual side of things. I feel like that helped a lot, working on the mental game.

“It was kind of surreal to see it all get put together and to have that going into the Combine is really nice. It gives me that faith in myself that it can happen.

“I’ve had tons of support from my family — more than I could ever ask for — in every category. They’ve really helped me along that journey and I’m super, super grateful to them.

“It’s easy to look ahead all the time and think, ‘I did this, but I can’t really enjoy it because the next thing is coming.’ Seeing that photo really takes me back and makes me realize that I’ve come a long way from that moment. It brings a sense of presence and gratefulness.”

Presence at the Combine, despite the pressure and scrutiny, is something to savour — an important milestone as he moves closer to attaining a long-standing goal.

“It’s starting to hit now, now that I’m here,” Wiebe said. “In the preparation, it felt like it was a long time away. Then, all of a sudden, we were driving to Regina and I was thinking, ‘It’s here now.’

“I’m trying to soak it all in and really be here and enjoy it all. It’s easy to look ahead and go, ‘This is another step,’ but I’m really trying to be grateful for this event and this opportunity.

“It’s an amazing opportunity and I’ve dreamed of this for as long as I can remember. I’m super excited to be here.”