REGINA - Chris Szarka is used to running footballs for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but the fullback also has a new role to tackle -- city councillor.
Szarka, who has been with the Riders for 13 years, won a seat on Regina city council during municipal elections held Wednesday in Saskatchewan.
Szarka practised with the green and white Thursday but that didn't stop him from getting down to work.
"My first order of business was told to me by (Mayor) Pat Fiacco ... and the rest of councillors, that is to go out and win on Saturday," Szarka said, laughing.
The Riders will face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Szarka only needs three rushing touchdowns to tie Kent Austin for second spot behind George Reed as the Rider with the most career rushing touchdowns.
Szarka said his teammates backed his run for the council seat.
"They stood out with me in the cold and you know smiled and waved to everybody as they went and voted," said Szarka. "There was a lot of support on this team."
Among them was guard Marc Parenteau.
"Guys that didn't even live in his ward .. would just come out and say, 'Hey do you need some help this week? I'm going to go with you door to door knocking,' and different stuff like that," said Marc Parenteau, who has been with the Roughriders for three years.
"It just shows the kind of teammate that he is, that guys are willing to help him out," said Parenteau.
But there's also been a bit of poking fun.
"You are going to, in any kind of sports atmosphere, take a little ribbing but you know what, most of it is positive and it's all in good fun. They know I'm very serious about it," said Szarka.
The 34-year-old insisted his new role at city hall won't impact his duties on the field.
Szarka's not the first athlete to make the leap from sports to politics. Former Alberta premier Don Getty spent 10 years with the Edmonton Eskimos. Former Alberta premier Peter Lougheed was also with the Eskimos for a few years. Liberal MP Ken Dryden was the goaltender for the NHL's Montreal Canadiens from 1971 to 1979.
While Getty, Lougheed and Dryden made the move after their playing days were over, Szarka said for him, the timing was right.
"The civic election came up at the perfect time right now, you know with me being a little bit older in my career. It came up and I took the opportunity. It was something that I wanted to do for a few years now and I jumped at the opportunity," he said.
"Just being involved in Saskatchewan here, being involved in Regina has fuelled me to do that. I've always been involved as a player here and this gives me a way to stay involved after football too."
