Portage la Prairie product was recommended to PFC team by his older brother
Get the latest from Darrell Davis straight to your inbox
Published Sep 27, 2024 • Last updated Sep 27, 2024 • 3 minute read
Regina Thunder kicker Shawn Green (7) is in his second season with the Prairie Football Conference team. Photo by Photo by WANDA HARRON PHOTOGRAPH /Wanda Harron PhotographyShawn Green was looking for somewhere to play football and the Regina Thunder needed a kicker.
Destiny.
“I was backing up at Bishop’s (University in Sherbooke, Que.) and then had some family stuff happen, so I moved back home,” said Green, a native of Portage la Prairie, Man., who is in his second season with the Prairie Football Conference team.
“I was looking to play somewhere closer to home.”
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Regina Leader-Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Regina Leader-Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor
Article content
Regina seemed like the perfect destination. Green’s older brother, Connor Green, had been a backup kicker with the University of Regina Rams before joining the PFC’s Saskatoon Hilltops for his final year of junior eligibility in 2022. Connor’s familiarity with Regina and the PFC ultimately helped his younger brother join the Thunder in 2023.
“(Shawn’s) brother contacted us,” said Thunder head coach Scott MacAulay. “We played against him quite a bit. He knew our guy graduated so it was perfect timing to get Shawn on our team.”
In 2022 the Thunder deployed two kickers, Eric Maximuik and Zack Schmidt, before turning the punting and kicking roles over to Green last season.
A former soccer player who started playing football in Grade 8, Shawn Green attended instructional clinics with Lirim Hajrullahu, a kicker who began his CFL career in 2014 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before joining the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts. Now Green works extensively with Thunder special teams co-ordinator Brett Strong.
“When I first started, it was try everything,” Green said about punting, kicking and kickoffs. “When I went to Bishop’s they just kept me doing everything. Now I keep doing everything.
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
Article content
“(Strong) is my main man. I love that guy. We’ve been working lots over the last year and a half, getting things done, fine-tuning details.”
Green averaged only 30.5 yards per punt last season but made 81 per cent (17-for-21) of his field goals and 30 of 31 converts. His punting has improved noticeably this season, with a 34.7-yard average. He has also made all 25 converts and 13 of 18 field goals, a slight dip to 72 per cent.
“I’m happy,” said Green. “There’s no team I’d rather be a part of. The Thunder’s a family. We take pride in taking care of each other and it’s one of the best times in my life right now.
“My main football goal is to play as long as I can. So that means just going out with the guys and playing hard. Professional? That’s the end goal for me.”
Shawn will be playing against his older brother’s former team when the Hilltops and Thunder renew their rivalry Friday night in Saskatoon. The Hilltops are the reigning Canadian junior champions and boast a 6-0 record this season, including a 29-15 victory Sept. 7 in Regina.
Second-place Regina has a 5-1 record with two regular-season games remaining before the top four PFC teams begin the playoffs. During a 51-16 victory two weeks ago over the Edmonton Wildcats, the Thunder scored a long touchdown on a fake punt when linebacker Mitchell Tanchak grabbed a direct snap and ran 48 yards into the end zone.
Article content
“I was loving that play,” said Green. “Any time a defensive guy can score a touchdown like that you get excited for him. I wanna see my boys succeed.”
Recommended from Editorial
Sadik Sadik is a one-of-a-kind running back with the Regina Thunder
Experience and friendship at the core of Regina Thunder’s linebacking corps
The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark leaderpost.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Article content