BRADENTON, FLA.

Chasing the football dream can take you to some unique places.

In Bradley Randle’s case, that place is the American southeast.

“I’ve never been to Florida before,” Randle said Monday from the Sunshine State, which was actually overcast but hot and muggy nonetheless as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers conducted Day 2 of their annual spring mini-camp at IMG Academy.

Randle is a running back-returner who was on Winnipeg’s practice roster two years ago and is once again trying to impress the team’s brass. Randle, who also spent some time on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad, got into one game with the B.C. Lions last year – the one and only football game he’s actually played since graduating from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas football program in 2013.

At 24, he’s still young enough that he hasn’t been jaded by the process of having to strut his stuff on a dusty Florida field just to get a chance to go to a CFL training camp.

“It’s just a beautiful process of working hard individually, as well as spiritually and mentally, and then coming out to the field and seeing what you’ve done in the off-season once you get around the players,” said Randle, who the Bombers have under contract. “I just want to compete. That’s within me. I want to keep on doing it for as long as I can.”

Randle spent about five weeks on Minnesota’s practice squad in the fall of 2013, which would have netted him approximately $30,000. Other than that, football hasn’t exactly been a financial windfall for Randle, who puts his UNLV hotel management degree to use to make ends meet.

“I was doing weddings, doing the silverware and the flutes,” Randle said. “I like it. I enjoy it. It’s really cool, just to see people get married and seeing the cake and even tasting it, too. It’s a beautiful experience working there.”

Strong side linebacker Eddie Russ is further along in his career than Randle, but he finds himself at the bottom of the ladder once again and is giving it another shot.

The 28-year-old spent parts of three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but there he was on Saturday with dozens of other hopefuls at Winnipeg’s free agent camp, just trying to earn a spot in the mini-camp.

He got that, but now he has to impress the coaches enough this week to get a contract.

“I just want to play football,” Russ said. “It’s the love of the game. It’s a kid’s game. We’re grown men, but we get to run around, fall on the ground. That’s the love and the passion that I have for football that keeps me going.”

Russ has been working on becoming a fitness professional and dietitian in Pensacola, Fla., and he’s been living “a little frugal” lately to keep football on the front burner. He’s saved his money so he can make the most of his opportunities.

“You’re like a car. Every year you depreciate,” Russ said. “So while that window is open you still keep one foot in that window and just try to keep it open, because it’s closing every year. Then once you exhaust all the options then you can literally look in the mirror and say ‘OK, I gave it my all. I’m done.’ That’s exactly how I look at it.”

Receiver Dan DePalma is only 25, but already the Verona, N.J., native has had tryouts with or spent time on the practice rosters of the New York Jets, New York Giants and San Diego Chargers. He then played three games last season with the Roughriders.

DePalma was on the Giants practice roster when they won the Super Bowl in February 2012, but this week he’s running routes with mostly wide-eyed rookies, hoping it will end with a contract offer from the Blue and Gold.

It’s a scene that is played out at every CFL team’s free agent workouts and mini-camps each off-season.

“Any time I get a phone call with interest, a smile comes across my face and I get real happy and I just want to push myself to get better and be a part of that team,” said DePalma, who makes a living by training other athletes. “I’m currently working on that now, stuck in the playbook, and hopefully I impress a few coaches out here.”

And if it doesn’t work out with the Bombers, Randle, Russ and DePalma will go back to their part-time jobs and continue to work out while they wait for the next call that might never come.

But if the phone does ring, they’ll drop everything to continue chasing that dream.

“I can’t imagine my life without football,” DePalma said, “so any time I get an opportunity and I’m healthy enough to do so I’m just blessed and real happy to be out here and prove myself. I’ll just keep going as long as I can.”