In his last year of high school football he won a championship with the Dauphin Clippers.
Then he took his skills to Winnipeg.
That's the route for Dauphin's Ty Hassel. He's now playing on the St. James Rods who play in the Manitoba Major Junior Football League.
"I'm definitely having a really good time," said Hassel. "I'm really happy that I was able to continue my football career after high school."
Playing against some of the best players in rural Manitoba wasn't easy. But, now that he's playing against some of the best players in all of the province, it's gotten even harder.
"It's definitely been a pretty tough transition," said Hassel. "Everyone out here is so skilled and guys are a lot bigger than they were in high school. It's been challenging, but I'm enjoying the experience."
The Rods have started their season 0-2. Heading into week three and going forward, Ty knows what he needs to do to have success.
"I just need to get bigger, faster and stronger," said Hassel. "Those are really the things that'll allow me to help the team the most."
Playing on the Rods also gives Ty a chance to play with a couple of his buddies. Steven Zurba and Cole Precourt are also on the team.
"It's been a lot of fun," said Hassel. "Obviously I'm really good friends with both of them so it's nice that I can share this experience with them. I'm hoping we can turn things around and win some games together."
The team is back in action on Friday when they take on the Nationals.
