Elks' Rankin believes historic 1,000-yard rushing and receiving mark is 'attainable'

Edmonton Elks running back Justin Rankin is setting his sights on a historic achievement in the Canadian Football League: becoming the first player to record 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. While he acknowledges the potential to make history, Rankin emphasizes that his main goal is securing victories for his team.

"It’s definitely something I was thinking about last year, doing something nobody has ever done before and making history," Rankin said. "It would definitely be pretty cool to achieve that but it’s not something I’m actively thinking about this year. I just want to win."

Rankin came close to the milestone last season, rushing for 1,013 yards and adding 713 receiving yards from 56 catches. He feels confident in his ability to reach the mark this year, stating, "I think it’s very attainable. To be honest, I think I could’ve done it last year. It just didn’t happen but I was right there."

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It’s definitely something I was thinking about last year, doing something nobody has ever done before and making history. It would definitely be pretty cool to achieve that but it’s not something I’m actively thinking about this year. I just want to win.

Currently, the 29-year-old Rankin is having an exceptional start to the season. He leads the CFL in rushing with 281 yards and three touchdowns on a 9.1-yard average. He also leads the Elks in receiving with 10 catches for 145 yards. Edmonton, currently 2-0, faces Winnipeg on Thursday night.

Past CFL players like Andrew Harris and Robert Drummond have approached the 1,000-yard mark in both categories. In the NFL, Roger Craig, Marshall Faulk, and Christian McCaffrey are the only players to have achieved this dual-threat milestone.

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I think it’s very attainable. To be honest, I think I could’ve done it last year. It just didn’t happen but I was right there.