Bane Jr. forges his own path, but keeps the memory of his dad close

Shawn Bane Jr. has forged his own path despite many people comparing him to his dad – and not just because they share the same name.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver and his father both became stars on the high school football field in their hometown of Sarasota, Fla.

Shawn Bane Sr., a running back at Riverview High School, starred on the field and was regarded as one of the greatest high school footballers to play in the city.

“Our relationship wasn’t the greatest but you heard the name and it was like a golden ticket,” Bane Jr. said ahead of a showdown against the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday. Kickoff for the game is set for 5 p.m.

“It was pretty cool to rep the name and grow up with that favour, I guess.”

But the 28-year-old Bane Jr. also wanted to create his own legacy on the football field.

“Having to kind of branch out and make my own name, it was time for it,” he said. “I couldn’t even go to the same high school as my dad because my mom wanted me to make my own name.”

Bane Jr. made his own mark in Sarasota. He was named a two-time all-state performer at Sarasota High School and was voted team offensive MVP as a junior.

He went on to play four seasons at Northwest Missouri State University, where he amassed 212 catches for 3,363 yards and 31 touchdowns over 48 games.

But as Bane Jr. was getting ready to start making his way to the pros, tragedy struck his family.

Early in 2020, the elder Bane died after being in a car crash.

“It was rough. I actually had seen him maybe an hour prior to that happening,” Bane Jr. said. “We heard the news, we kept him in the hospital for at least two weeks (to) see if he would recover or if surgeries or anything would happen.

“I was actually the one who had to sign the paper to let him go. It was tough.”

Bane Jr. has kept his dad close to this day, bringing an urn of his dad’s ashes with him wherever he has gone.

“(It’s) just to show him how far I have taken football; he kind of passed the torch,” Bane Jr. said. “Wherever I am going, it’s in my toiletry bag. He can see Canada, he can see Northwest Missouri State, where I’ve been, Georgia — everywhere I have been, he has kind of been with me.”

Bane Jr. wasn’t selected in the 2019 NFL draft but was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent. He was released that season.

The first CFL team that came calling was the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“My first opportunity was actually Winnipeg. I had bounced around and had a couple workouts – Pittsburgh, Tampa – and Winnipeg was like, ‘Yo, we’re mid-season and will expedite your passport,’ ” Bane Jr. said. “I didn’t take that opportunity and then they won the championship that year.

“With my talents, I always wanted the NFL – that was my prize. I was like, ‘I guess the CFL isn’t so bad. Let’s try it out.’ I’ve just been grinding it out and proving.”

In 2020, the CFL season was cancelled, so it took until 2021 for Bane Jr. to make the trek north, joining the Stamps.

“When I first signed there, they were saying they were the (New England) Patriots of the CFL – an old-school way but they get it done,” Bane Jr. said. “There was a ton of grind days – I had to do rookie camp both years – but you were able to rely on the guy next to you, which was pretty dope.

“It’s the same here, I can’t lie.”

In two seasons in Calgary, Bane Jr. recorded 388 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 13 games.

When free agency arrived this off-season, he elected to head to Saskatchewan to join the Riders.

The showdown in Calgary on Saturday is something Bane Jr. has been looking forward to.

“I have history there so I want to prove myself right,” he said. “There are mixed feelings. You always want the people who signed you to have faith in you. I didn’t feel that necessarily.

“It made sense (to come to Saskatchewan). The position, the use that they will have me do (and) the facilities are crazy but everyone here is bought in.”

He has made an early impression on his teammates. Not only does he have 12 catches for 161 yards in two games, but quarterback Trevor Harris was signing his praises early in camp.

“Shawn Bane is who I think is going to be a candidate for breakout player of the year this year,” Harris said on the first day of training camp.

That kind of confidence has Bane Jr. excited to wear green and white.

“It’s an honour for the quarterback to see that. I work my butt off to show it in his eyes, (so) it’s pretty dope,” Bane Jr. said.