RanekÂ’s off-season has been on the chase
April 20, 2005 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Ottawa Renegades News Release
OTTAWA – Josh Ranek’s teammates call the Renegades starting running back the ‘little ball of hate.’ This off-season, the 26-year-old has found himself running after a little ball of fun.
Ranek, the all-time leading rusher in Renegades history, has spent the winter in Minneapolis, Minnesota, just a few hundred kilometers away from his native South Dakota. And while his wife, Danielle, continues to work as a traveling nurse, the 5-foot-8 fan favourite in Ottawa found himself chasing after his niece.
Yes, a back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher in the CFL was chasing after Anna Grace Tupa-Clark, as the RanekÂ’s settled at DanielleÂ’s sisterÂ’s home as the countdown continued toward the 2005 football season.
“We wanted to be around and watch (Anna) grow up,” explained Ranek Wednesday, in a media conference call. “I didn’t have a full-time job – it has been more or less volunteer work – but I have been watching my niece learning the ropes as an uncle and future father and helping do projects across the house. And I’ve learned children take up a lot of time. I always thought the baby stage was the hardest, but when they become mobile, they become that much more needy.”
A year ago, Ranek was a ticket taker at a San Diego movie theatre, but after the 2004 campaign, he has found himself keeping busy by helping out his in-laws and also training and working out.
“I’m continuing to work on speed and I believe that’s the way to go as players,” he said. “It’s something I really try to focus on and maintain and prove. I’m also working on a lot of technique. As players get older, they can’t just rely on their physical abilities and it’s important to work on footwork and to get in the right position for running and blocking responsibilities.”
So does Ranek, who has been with the Renegades for each of the teamÂ’s first three years, feel old?
“Hey,” he said, laughing, “you’re only as old as you feel and I feel like I’m 18-years-old.”
With the Renegades having signed three running backs to contracts, including a pair of former NFLÂ’ers in Herbert Goodman and KaÂ’Ron Coleman, Ranek realizes that there should be battles in training camp, set to begin in just over a month.
“Competition? It’s welcome. I love competition. I think at every position there should be some. It will only make the team better,” he said.
And with the familiarity of the coaching staff, anchored by head coach and now general manager Joe Paopao, Ranek acknowledges that the struggles of 2004 will lead to a better 2005.
“I am excited Joe and the staff is back. I love the guy and love playing for him. The way things went last year, I thought he deserved another chance. Injuries occur every season, it’s just we had a lot. Not to make excuses, but we have to come back,” he admitted. “We have to be more prepared for injuries and I think that has been addressed in off-season. To have more depth and know how to deal with the injuries.
“I just can’t wait to get back up there and perform.”
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Canadian Football League Stories from April 20, 2005
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