CALGARY, Ab. — When we think of going pro in America, we typically think of the NBA, NFL, MLB and so on. But there are other avenues to turn professional in sport outside of the U.S., with some turning it into an entire career.
That is what former Missouri State Bear Titus Wall is aiming for in Canada.
His career is off to a dashing start.
For some, visiting different countries is a badge of honor.
“Just being able to travel the world is a blessing, you know, because not everybody is able to do that,” Wall said.
For Wall, his passport has been football.
The game has taken Wall from Plano, Texas to Springfield and Missouri State. And now, to the Great White North.
“I’m a South boy,” Wall said. “But it’s definitely catching on because instead of saying, like U.S., the United States, I catch myself saying the states and so that’s what people say up here. A lot of you from the states huh, states eh?.”
Fresh off his final year with the Bears, Wall signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in April. Beginning training camp the day after his birthday, on May 9.
“So that was a great birthday present,” Wall said. “And everything else is just been rolling with football.”
The Stampeders are 2-0 on the young season. Wall started both games, but had his biggest impact in this past weekend’s game with Hamilton.
“It wasn’t oh, man. We we we could try. We know we’re going to win this game,” Wall said.
Facing a 24-3 third quarter deficit, Wall recorded his first professional interception in the Tiger-Cats endzone.
Then trailing 27-20 in the fourth quarter, Wall stripped the Ti-Cats quarterback and took it 45 yards for the tying touchdown.
“I was like, wow, ain’t no way. I was like, this is too good to be true, you know, like, ain’t no way it’s really like right here in my face,” Wall said about the play. “And so this took it, and I just had to go get it in the end zone. That was my first reaction, get in the endzone and go score.”
The effort earned Wall the CFL’s top performer of the week honor.
“Man it is very humbling you know everything is just a humbling experience you know I just so thankful for everything and like I say, it’s a new opportunity,” Wall said.
Some of the rules in the CFL might be a little different than what we are used to in the States.
“The ball getting punted across the field,” Wall said. “The next, you know, someone catches it and it gets punted back all within the same play. The field is, of course, bigger than just the receivers. They have that little waggle, you know, pre-snap, able to run pre-snap.”
But the goals are all the same.
“You know, no matter what the case might be, as long as I’m able to play football at the end of the day, that’s what I love to do,” Wall said. “That’s always the end goal. To be a champion, you know. So but in order to do that, you got to take it one week at a time, you know, and just keep stacking from there.”
