Fox takes the ball and runs with it for Colts

Cam Fox will be looking for holes in the line to run through this season, while at the same time looking to fill a couple of gaps on his team’s roster.

The Father Lacombe High School grad looks like he will be the main running back for the Calgary Colts this season, if the amount of work he was given in the team’s Prairie Football Conference opener last weekend is any indication.

 “We’ve got a lot of young guys behind me, so I guess most of the weight is on my shoulders,” the 21-year-old said before practice at Hellard Field earlier this week. 

“I’m OK with that.”

Fox led the Colts with 88 yards on 15 carries in the loss to the Regina Thunder on August 18.

He is needed even more now because of the apparent season-ending knee injury suffered by Dustin Whetton during the Colts’ exhibition outing two weeks ago in Edmonton. 

Add to that was the loss of Fox’s good friend, Chucks Okafor, the big back who moved on from junior football to join the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks for this season.

Fox has one year of eligibility remaining after this year but Whetton, who still attends practice every day despite being injured, has no eligibility left after this season.

Fox joined the Colts for the 2012 season — lured to the team by a phone call by quarterback Jeremy Long urging him to come out — and established himself through the season as a very effective ball carrier.

Seeing Fox in uniform during the online broadcast of the opening game in 2013 probably caused some double takes for anyone familiar with the team; he had switched over from uniform No. 28 to the No. 5 worn by Okafor.

“Just honouring my good friend, Chucks,” he said.

While Okafor and Whetton got the bulk of carries to start last season, Fox did work his way into a key role by the fall and in fact led the Colts with 64 yards on 11 carries in their semifinal defeat to the Thunder on Oct. 14. 

“He’s a very good athlete and a very good running back,” offered Colts offensive coordinator Adam Blasetti.

“He showed what he was capable of last year in spot duty and we expect big things from him this year.”

Fox finished 2012 with 283 yards rushing and a sparkling 8.58 per-carry average and two touchdowns.

“I didn’t play in my first two years of eligibility and came in last year and was No. 3 on the depth chart and had to wait for my time,” he said.

“I’m getting my opportunity this year and I’m going to try and take full advantage of it.”

The Colts return to the field this Sunday when they travel to Edmonton to face the Edmonton Wildcats in the second of three road games to start the season.