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It’s safe to say the grassroots of football have sprouted in Edmonton.

And before outgoing Eskimos president Len Rhodes turned in his keys after announcing a record $845,000 toward amateur football groups in the region Wednesday, he was reminded of just how much growth has occurred over the past seven years.

“We get an opportunity to see football across the country from our position,” Football Alberta director Tim Enger said. “When we talk about our relationship with the Eskimos, it makes heads spin across the country.

“We always say we’re very proud in the fact we live in a province, in terms of football, where everybody pulls with the same oars. Our relationship goes beyond what we do with the teams, but the bottom line is I know how grateful the junior teams are and how grateful the university team is for their support.

“As for flag football, there wasn’t anything here before we started this stuff. The Eskimos’ seed money has grown into not only the youth flag program that they run here in the fall, the Golden Bears have taken up the banner and do a lot of things in the off-season. It has now grown into 30 junior high schools playing flag football, both genders.