It's called the off-season, but Eskimos offensive lineman Patrick Kabongo hardly took it off.
Heading into the option year of his contract, he wanted to make the most of a window of opportunity to shop his talents to teams south of the border. And shop he did.
The six-foot-seven, 310-pounder worked out with the NFL's Detroit Lions, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals before returning home.
"I love Edmonton. I think it's a good place. It's been great being here. The fans have been great," said Kabongo, before being interrupted during the interview by a hairstylist in Northgate Centre offering him a free haircut.
Kabongo was at the mall yesterday signing autographs during the Family Fun and Community Connections Fair as part of the club's Champions in the Community program.
To Kabongo, the journey south wasn't so much about hit or miss as it was an experience that's benefited him as a player.
"Every time you have an opportunity to go down to the NFL and you have tryouts, I think it's always wise to take it. And that's what I did," he said. "I wasn't looking for it to work out or not work out, I was trying to get some experience because that's very valuable."
At the very least, the tryouts motivated him to stay in season form.
"That helped me to keep on working out all the time and have an early kick-start," he said. "It made me realize that I'm very blessed and fortunate to be able to play football."
Drafted 19th overall by the Ottawa Renegades in 2003, Kabongo was a defensive tackle out of the University of Nebraska.
It wasn't until he began playing for the Green and Gold in 2004 that his offensive talent sprouted.
"He's come a long, long way," said Eskimos GM Danny Maciocia. "As much as we'd like to take credit for the position change, it was all him."
But Kabongo says the credit lies elsewhere.
"It's been definitely a transition," Kabongo said of his new place along the line of scrimmage. "The learning curve has been great. I've had a lot of help."
Teammates past and present have shared advice from both the offensive and defensive side of the field.
"All those guys have played a role for me, going against them in practice, talking with them. But really, it's a team sport, it's never just about me," said Kabongo. "It's about the entire crew that we have, the offensive line itself. This year we have a great team with John Comisky and Dan (Comiskey)'s coming back and Garrick Jones and big Calvin Armstrong.
"We have done some great adds: Kyle Koch and you can't forget Aaron Fiacconi coming up that can play very well. We're going to be strong."
There are definite differences to linemen between playing offence and defence.
"On defence, you've got to be aggressive from the moment the ball is snapped. As an offensive lineman, it's a controlled aggression. You can only attack when the opponent is to your reach. Until then, you can't do anything," he said, adding it's the position more suited to his personality.
Maciocia said the O-lineman is definitely deserving of the opportunity to workout for NFL teams, despite the chance the Eskimos could lose what has become an anchor on their offensive line.
Of course, Kabongo could pull anchor himself after his contract expires at the end of the 2009 season.
"At some time at the end of the year, we'll talk about it," said Maciocia.
"I definitely do want to stay here," Kabongo said. "I don't want to go anywhere else. Edmonton's my home."
