By Rob Vanstone,
Regina Leader-Post
Marc Mueller was introduced as one of the University of Regina Rams’ latest prized recruits on Wednesday.
His introduction to Rams football actually took place in 1995.
That autumn, Mueller and his father, Larry, attended the Canadian Junior Football League final between the Rams and Ottawa Sooners. The Rams, who transferred to the university ranks for the 1999 season, defeated the Sooners 26-10 on Taylor Field.
“The first thing I remember about the Rams is that Canadian championship game,” Mueller, who quarterbacked the Sheldon-Williams Spartans to the 2006 city and provincial 4A football titles, said Wednesday during a media conference at Rams headquarters.
“It was freezing. Larry wanted to toughen me up for the Grey Cup, which was held here that year. I was six years old.”
What are his recollections of the game?
“I remember playing with those little Yellow Pages footballs with Bobby Jurasin’s kids and the McGeoughs,” Mueller said. “We always went to the games with them.
“I don’t remember much of the game, but I remember going to the games with them.”
Mueller hopes to create lasting memories as a member of the Rams.
He joins the Rams with impressive credentials, having been the Regina Intercollegiate Football League’s most prolific passer in 2005 and 2006. He was the Spartans’ starting quarterback for three seasons.
In eight regular-season games in 2006, Mueller completed 61.1 per cent of his passes while throwing for 1,828 yards, with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions.
“One thing that sets Marc Mueller apart is his leadership and his understanding of the game,” Rams head coach Frank McCrystal said.
Lineage is also on Mueller’s side. He is extremely close to his grandfather, Saskatchewan Roughriders legend Ron Lancaster. Does that create any pressure?
“I’m kind of used to it,” Mueller said. “I’ve been up against it for most of my football career. I’m kind of expected to do things a certain way.
“I like the pressure. When the game’s on the line, I want the ball in my hands.”
Mueller is reminiscent of his grandfather in another respect. Both quarterbacks are under six feet tall.
“I got no help from my family,” a chuckling Mueller said when the subject of heredity was raised. “The tallest person in my immediate family is barely six feet tall.”
That would be veteran CFL assistant coach R.D. Lancaster, who is a former Rams quarterback. Larry Mueller is also a Rams alumnus, having played linebacker with the team from 1977 to 1981.
Along with Marc Mueller, the Rams announced the recruitment of defensive lineman James Moore and offensive lineman David Stefaniuk.
The 6-foot-1, 255-pound Moore was the starting centre and defensive tackle for the St. Michael’s College Kerry Blues in Toronto this past season. The 6-foot-2, 258-pound Stefaniuk, from Monarch, Alta., attends Catholic Central High School in Lethbridge.
In addition, the Rams announced that two members of the PFC’s Regina Thunder — wide receiver Lee Forsberg and defensive back Todd Kristoff — will be attending the team’s spring camp, which is to run April 27-29.
