It’s time to emerge from hibernation.

The days are getting longer and the snow is starting to melt, which can only mean one thing.

The 2024 CFL season is nearly upon us.

As it looms closer, aspiring CFLers are convening from all over the country in just eight days to show off their skills in front of scouts and coaches at this year’s CFL Combine presented by New Era. Fans can check the results and stay updated on all the action happening in Winnipeg from March 19-24 on CFL.ca.

A year ago, Stamps receiver Clark Barnes was heading to the combine in Edmonton, preparing to make a good impression in anticipation of the draft.

“It was honestly a great experience,” said the 23-year-old. “You always look forward to the combine as a football player growing up. It’s a big moment for everybody, especially if you have pro aspirations.”

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The former Guelph Gryphon had an admirable showing at the combine, recording the second-fastest 40 with a time of 4.53 seconds, and ranked in the top five for the vertical and broad jump.

Based off his performances from the on-field drills Friday through Sunday, Barnes was deemed by CFL analysts as one of the top pass-catchers entering the draft.

“It was the first time they conducted it in a different format,” he said, “so, it was interesting and I had a lot of fun.”

“It was good to spend a lot of time with the guys that you’re going through the process with, guys that I’ve played football with growing up. It was fun to spend time with them and go practice with the guys.

“And to show off all of the hard work I’ve put in, in the combine, it was a fun experience.”

The combine is the ultimate football interview. It’s the final exam. And apart from what the overall number results indicate, the players get a chance to show the coaches who they are off the field as well.

“Off the field you want to show that there are reasons why you’re the player that you are on the field,” explained Barnes. “You doing your thing on the field has a lot to do with the person that you are.”

“You have to be yourself. I was a little more myself so I could allow coaches to get a good read on me and get a sense of the person that I am, and what leads to me being the player that I am on the field.”

For Barnes, the key to a successful combine showing is a balance, and his advice to the attendees this year is simple:

“Just try to find a way to have fun, while being focused,” he said.

“Sometimes when you’re worried about being too focused on stuff, you don’t put out your best athletic performance. So just try to find a way, find a headspace to enjoy doing what you’re doing, but still stay locked in and focused on what you need to do and execute it for something that you’ve waited damn-near your whole life for.”

Fast-forward to May of 2023, and the star pass-catcher out of the University of Guelph heard his name called when he was selected 24th overall by the Stampeders in the third round.

He proved his worth to the Red and White come training camp and made an instant impact in the pre-season, scoring the team’s first touchdown of the game. He hit paydirt again for his first career regular-season touchdown in Week 7 against the Redblacks with a 53-yard dart courtesy of Jake Maier.

Welcome to the Big League young fella 🫡

Clark Barnes scores his 1st career TD!#CFLGameday | @calstampeders pic.twitter.com/heHRXleNbg

— CFL (@CFL) July 23, 2023

“I learned a lot,” Barnes reflected. “Guys like Malik (Henry) and Reggie (Begelton) being beside me early on, Tre (Odoms-Dukes) and Marken (Michel) helping me out. I had a good group of receivers around me that were helping me. I had a good support system.

“(Receivers) Coach (Nik) Lewis did a lot for me, too.

“It was really fun. I was happy that I could contribute to the team right away. I felt like that was something I knew I could do so I was proud of myself.”

Unfortunately, his impressive rookie campaign came to a halt in Week 10 after suffering a season-ending injury against the Lions in Vancouver.

In his first year as a pro, he recorded 25 catches for 234 yards and a touchdown, 379 kickoff-return yards and 111 missed-field goal-return yards in nine games. His 724 all-purpose yards were good enough to lead the team and place him in the CFL’s top 10 at the time of his injury.

Despite missing the rest of the season, the Brampton, Ontario, native still earned the Stamps nomination for Most Outstanding Rookie.

The injury also encouraged the young receiver to become more resilient.

“At the end of the year, I was just learning how to deal with adversity,” he informed.

“I definitely took strides growing as a man and taking accountability, going through the injury on the pro-football side.

“I’ve learned a lot and I feel like it was a solid first year for me and I’m looking forward to growing more in the second year. I’m excited.”

Since the culmination of the 2023 season in November, Barnes returned home to eastern Canada to start preparing for his sophomore year in the CFL.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” he said. “I was getting a little bit closer (to returning) at the end of the year, so I’ve been able to get a good off-season in. I’m back with my trainer and physiotherapist back home.

“I’ve had a lot of time to get in good work in the off-season and feeling really good.”