Colton Meikle at Lions mini-camp (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

BC LIONS TRAINING CAMP

Kamloops receiver getting taste of the CFL experience at Lions camp

May 10, 2024 | 4:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC Lions are back in Kamloops for training camp this year, with the rookies arriving in the Tournament Capital on Wednesday (May 8) ahead of mini-camp. The majority of the players taking part in mini-camp come from the U-Sports and US college ranks, as the rookies look to impress the coaching staff and earn a spot in main-camp next week and then possibly on the official 56-man roster come week one.

For most of the young talent, it will be there first time in Kamloops, but one receiver knows all to well the turf of Hillside Stadium.

Not to ruin the surprise, but Colton Meikle knows full well he won’t be on the BC Lions this year — in fact, he can’t even technically make the team. But the local wide receiver, at Lions camp this week as a roster ‘non-counter’ is keenly aware of the opportunity presented to him.

“It’s definitely been an eye-opener, just trying to take in all the information that I can,” Meikle told CFJC Sports. “Making what I can do work and trying to take advantage of my reps as much as possible. Just go from there, take every day as one step, and do as much as I can.”

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Following camp, Meikle will join the Kamloops Broncos for their BCFC season, but he will do so with a litany of new knowledge.

“I’m just here to take in as much information as I can and then bring it back to the season, put it into my game and kind of go from there,” said Meikle.

One of those new lessons, catching passes from CFL veterans like Vernon Adams Jr.

“It’s crazy, the ball is right in your hands. It makes it so much easier, and it’s always right on target,” noted Meikle.

For Meikle, it’s a chance to understand what a pro training camp really is and get some meaningful reps with players he hopes to soon be his peers. And to his credit, the man he hopes will someday be his head coach has been impressed.

“He is not out of place at all. You can tell it’s not too big for him,” stated Lions Head Coach Rick Campbell. “I know if I was his age, 18 or 19, doing this, I would be pretty intimidated. But, he is fitting in and doing a great job. Really, the goal for him is to try to improve and get used to playing the CFL game and see what happens.”

Despite being a non-roster invitee to camp, Meikle can make the later stages of camp. Just last season, a player in his position suited up in a preseason game with BC. Extending his stay and learning from the best in the game is priority one for the Kamloops kid.

“I’m hoping to make it all the way to the end of camp and just try to take as much as I can from it and then go from there,” said Meikle. “Hopefully next year it will be a little bit a different situation, but I’m hoping to be back.”