Running back Justin Rankin is translating his strong work ethic off the field into success on the field for the surging Edmonton Elks.

Rankin, a 28-year-old out of Northwest Missouri State who’s in his second season with the team, was just named to the CFL’s weekly Honour Roll after he rushed for more than 200 yards in the Elks’ 31-19 win over the Calgary Stampeders in the Labour Day rematch. His 90-yard touchdown run in the second quarter was the longest in the CFL since 2000, and he earned a grade of 92.6 from Pro Football Focus.

Teammates and staff with the Elks say Rankin’s recent success starts with how he carries himself and the type of teammate he is.

“That’s my boy,” fellow running back Javon Leake said this week ahead of the Elks’ clash with the Toronto Argonauts. “He’s the perfect team guy. The type of teammate that you want in the locker room. He’s the first one there every time. He works hard. He’s a bunch of energy to be around. If you’re around Rank, you’re definitely going to be up. You’re going to be entertained.”

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Trysten Dyce, Edmonton’s running backs coach, has also noticed how much work Rankin puts into his craft.

“He’s one of the first guys in in the morning and one of the last guys to leave at night,” Dyce said. “It’s awesome to see his success on the field right now, but everyone in this whole building has known that it’s going to come for the guy because [of] the amount of work that he puts in. It was bound to come.”

Leake said that Rankin’s work ethic rubs off on his teammates.

“I might see him lift [and] it makes me want to go lift,” he said. “He sets a great example for the rest of the team.”

Rankin emphasized how he’s tried to learn and study the league. From 2021 to 2023, he played in the Indoor Football League.

“Going from arena football, it’s a huge difference,” he said. “There’s always that learning period of trying to figure the game out…my routine stays the same, whether I was in indoor or here. I’m always the first in and I strive to be the last out [of team facilities].

Cody [Fajardo] might beat me, but forget Cody [laughs].”

It has not been a smooth ride for Rankin or the Elks.

Earlier in the season, both were struggling. Rankin had two games where he had zero rushing yards, despite starting both, while Edmonton got off to a 1-6 start. The Elks now sit 5-7 and are firmly in the playoff conversation, while Rankin is averaging 95 yards over his past four games. He feels that the process was always there, and now the team is getting the results they expected all along.

“It was just a matter of time,” Rankin said, alluding to an off-season of changes in Edmonton that included the hiring of a new coaching staff led by Mark Kilam. “It was a new team. New staff. They cleaned house, brought a lot of new people in. It was just a matter of time before guys started to get comfortable with each other and started gelling together.”

He also credited Fajardo, his rival for who gets to Commonwealth Stadium the earliest.

“A real pro’s pro leading the charge,” he said. “It makes everything a little bit easier.”

The dynamic in the Elks’ running backs room is also healthy.

Leake and Rankin could have been rivals, given they’re vying for one football and a limited number of carries. Instead, they’ve developed a deep bond and support one another.

“That’s my guy,” Rankin said of Leake. “Since last year, he brought me in and was showing me the ropes and helping me out and leading me in the right direction. I’m super grateful to him.”

Rankin said that Leake was instrumental in him getting comfortable in the CFL.

“He was making sure I was in the right position,” Rankin said. “There could have been guys that weren’t telling me stuff or telling me the wrong stuff…he was very unselfish. He would let me go get my reps.”

Leake said that the two recognize how talented each other are.

“He tells me how good I am all the time,” he said. “We can both help the team. We can both contribute to the team. Both are hungry. Both are humble.”

They share a common goal, which trumps any individual accolades.

“I want to see you eat, he wants to see me eat,” Leake said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to ball for the team and that’s what we do.”

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