WINNIPEG – Along with the rest of the Stampeders coaching and scouting staff, Cole Hufnagel – Director of US Scouting – is attending this year’s CFL Combine. We caught up with Cole to find out what he’s looking forward to the most this weekend.

Q: What is your role this week at the Combine?

H: My role is basically to look at the athletic ability of the players out here. Decipher how they test and then put that together with what they show on film and, at the end of the day, collaborate with everyone else to put a final grade on the player. In terms of the questioning, I try to get a feel for the player, their background, if there’s any type of injury you have to be aware of, how they do in school, what’s their post-football life – just try and get a good feel about the player as a whole just so you know the type of guy you’re bringing into the organization. It’s very important.

Q: How does the NFL Combine compare to the CFL?

H: It’s a lot more scattered, I guess. A lot more people involved, just because obviously there’s more people and more teams – more players – stuff like that. It’s a show for sure, you know, but at the end of the day it’s the same thing, just watching the players work out and talking to some kids and stuff like that.

Q: How have the open tryouts gone in the States this offseason?

H: Tryouts have been good, we’re getting good numbers. We’ve protected some guys, we’ve signed some guys from the tryouts. Some guys we’ve been aware of, some guys have just shown up on the scene and we’ve been surprised by and actually signed a couple of those guys to contracts and they’re coming down to our main tryout and competing for a job. We’ve got four more tryouts so hopefully we’ll find a couple more gems out there to compete.

Q: What are you looking forward to the most this weekend?

H: The interviews tonight. I really enjoy the interviews. Because obviously I spend most of my time in the States and this is my first interaction with these CIS players so kind of just getting to know these guys in person is what I look forward to the most.