4 brothers looking to take field for University of Regina Rams at same time

The University of Regina Rams could potentially have four brothers on the field at the same time this season. 

The four Sombachs are already practising together with the team and all play on the defensive side of the ball. Jackson Sombach, 23, is in his final stretch of university football. He was the first of his brothers to join the Regina Rams, followed by Carson, 21, and 20-year-old twins Connor and Rylar.

Even without playing together in a regular season game, the brothers have made history, according to the university. 

"This is the first time the U of R Rams have had four brothers on the team at the same time," the university said in an email.

Jackson is the starting halfback — a defensive back who lines up inside — for the Rams and was a Canada West all-star last season. He said football has been a long-standing family tradition.

"All of our Christmas presents were football stuff," he said. "We played snowball in the front yard or the back yard. We were always tackling each other in the basement playing football. So we've been pretty bred to play football since we were young."

Their dad, Steve Sombach, was a Rams offensive lineman when the team was winning Canadian junior championships in the 1980s. Steve says he got into football when he was 14 and he got his inspiration from his own dad. 

"I used to see pictures of my dad on the wall with him and his football uniform and his pads and stuff from 1956."

Each of the brothers has had their eyes on the same prize since they were young. They have all represented team Saskatchewan and won championships at Regina's Miller High School before joining the Rams. 

Steve, like all of his kids, also played for Miller High School. He later went on to coach there from 1988