Roughriders' Steinhauer embracing new role as a fullback

Long snapper, defensive lineman or fullback. That’s the list of choices Levi Steinhauer could put on his resume, because as of this week he’s played all three.

The Moose Jaw native, who played college ball at the University of Saskatchewan, saw his position change from the defence to the offence a week ago when head coach Chris Jones asked him to takes reps as a fullback.

“I’m starting to pick some stuff up and I’m starting to have some fun out there now,” Steinhauer said of his new position.

Jones has an idea of the body type he likes at all positions on the field. So like with other positional changes he’s made, Steinhauer was moved because Jones felt his body fit what the team was looking for a fullback.

“There’s just one or two guys that have the body to be a fullback,” Jones said after practice on Thursday.

“He’s caught the ball, a decent blocker, I’m excited about him,” he added.

Steinhauer’s excited too and is spending his time learning the ins and outs of the other side of the ball.

“I’ve played defence my whole life, I kind of get those concepts … so it’s little intricate things that I know of defence, but when I come over to offence I don’t know,” he explained.

But he’s come a long way already, if you ask offensive coordinator Stephen McAdoo. McAdoo said Steinhauer has learned more of the offensive system than “almost anybody” so his next steps will be learning to execute the plays.

“He’s come a long way,” McAdoo added.

Steinhauer said his years on defence have been helpful for him as he transitions to fullback, so it’s not like he’s reinventing the wheel every time.

“Over here as a fullback they want to you hit people and that’s what I did on defence and special teams,” Steinhauer said.

And the bottom line for Steinhauer is he wants to play football with the green and white, no matter what side of the football that takes him to.

“Wherever you want me, I’ll give it my all,” he said.

With files from Wray Morrison