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August 2, 2017

The Comeback Kid

Receiver Reggie Begelton before a pre-season game on June 6, 2017 (Photo by David Moll)

It doesn’t matter the path you took to get there, what matters is that you made it.

For as long as he can remember, Reggie Begelton has had to overcome many adversities in his life to get what he has wanted.

It’s been a series of ups and downs in his life, but now the Stampeders receiver is set to make his official CFL debut Thursday night at BMO Field against the Toronto Argonauts.

“This is what everybody actually plays for,” Begelton said. “It’s an opportunity to step up and show everyone what I can do and now it really counts. I want to help the team win and do whatever I can do.”

Begelton made a strong impression during training camp after signing onto the team in May, and his strong play was highlighted by his pre-season performance against the BC Lions as the rookie hauled in five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown before going down with an injury.

It was unclear whether the Lamar University alum was going to return after being cut from the roster in June, but Begelton surprised everyone with his recovery time and the Stamps wasted little time re-signing the wideout.

“All my life I’ve been a workhorse and nothing has been easy for me,” Begelton said. “I understood it was another trial and tribulation that I had to go through. I just kept my head up, prayed to God and thanked God that it was nothing too serious. Thankfully it wasn’t.”

Now, the opportunity has come for Begelton to show what he can do, stepping into the lineup for the Week 7 clash. All the hard work and preparation from practice has led to this moment and he’s hoping to gain the confidence of the coaching staff.

“I work hard for everything and hopefully I can work my way up,” Begelton said. “If you make mistakes, the best place to do it is in practice so you can learn from it. That’s the point of practice. Go in and watch the film and really be a student of the game.”

The Beaumont, Tex., native admits there will be some nervous and anxiousness but his drive and dedication and the support of his family will keep him focused at the task in hand.

“Every game during the first play, there’s always nervousness but at end of the day it’s just football,” Begelton said. “You want to go out there and perform the best way you can.

“My family has been a big supporter of me. Everyone back home had my back. I’m doing this for them and even the people who were walked on in college and were told that ‘you can’t do it’ – that’s who I’m mainly doing it for.”