Saskatchewan's Ben Heenan excited to join Indianapolis Colts

After three years playing for his hometown Saskatchewan Roughriders, offensive lineman Ben Heenan is getting his shot at the NFL.

Heenan, 24, signed with the Indianapolis Colts, who made it all the way to the AFC Championship this season.

"The past few days have been pretty crazy," Heenansaid."Once it was official, it did feel very good. I'm just really excited to go down to Indianapolis and try to compete."

The past few days have been pretty crazy.Once it was official, it did feel very good. I'm just really excited to go down to Indianapolis and try to compete.- Ben Heenan

Heenanworked out for six NFL teams, five of which presented him with an offer. Heenan saidhe chose the Colts because of a "gut feeling."He wouldn't provide the names of the other NFL teams he worked out for.

"I had no idea what to expect,"Heenan saidwhen asked if the workouts werenerve-racking. "The entire process was pretty foreign to me. Once I went down there, though, and had some pretty positive feedback after the first couple, that gave me something to build on."

The Saskatchewan Roughridersdrafted Heenan firstoverall in 2012. He helped the team win a Grey Cup in 2013. The organization released Heenan from his contract on Monday. He was scheduled to become a free agent on Feb. 10.

Heenansaid it was a difficult process to say goodbye to the Riders and his teammates. He will be leaving the province he was born and raised in.

However, Heenan said that he feels a little like he's at home in Indiana, as aspects of that state remind him of Saskatchewan.

"This really is a football community," he said. "And no matter what stage my career was at, I always felt the community, teammates, whoever it was, they were always behind me and you can just definitely tell deep down in their hearts that they want to see you succeed."