By Randy Phillips,
Montreal Gazette
Mark Kang says he switched from offence to defence with the Concordia Stingers this season to get more face time.
“I didn’t get drafted by the CFL as a fullback last spring, even though I figured I had enough good (video) tape of me showing what I can do,” he said. “Playing defence this year is a case of getting more tape so I can show my versatility.”
Kang is a fifth-year senior and a starter at defensive tackle for the No. 6-ranked Stingers who try to extend their season unbeaten streak to five games when they meet the McGill Redmen
(1-3) in today’s 20th Shrine Bowl at Concordia Stadium (1 p.m., RDS).
The 25-year-old native of Incheon, Korea, is 6-foot-1 and officially listed at 270 pounds, but actually is 280, according to head coach Gerry McGrath. He was playing fullback at only a few pounds lighter a year ago.
“Yeah, that’s huge for a fullback,” Kang said. “But I’ve always been pretty fast and pretty quick, which is why the coaches here gave me the opportunity to play fullback.”
Kang was at John Abbott College, where he played middle linebacker before being recruited by the Stingers to play on the defensive line in 2002.
“He was about 260 coming out of John Abbott and I told him if he got down to 240, I would play him at fullback,” McGrath recalled yesterday. “He told me a week before camp that he was close to 240, but when he got on the scale he was 297, so we put him on D-line.
“To his credit, he went from 297 to 250 for spring ball (in 2003) and I moved him back to fullback and he played three years at fullback,” McGrath said.
“He’s a character. He called me one time and said: ‘Coach, I did four plates,’ and I said: ‘Where, at the Chinese buffet?’ But he was talking about his bench press.”
Kang was ninth in the Quebec Interuniversity Football Conference in rushing in 2004, carrying 47 times for 264 yards and four touchdowns in seven games. Last year, in five games, he ran for 133 yards on 26 carries and had a touchdown.
He’s fifth in the league in tackles this season with 9.5, including eight solos and a quarterback sack.
“Basically, I was playing fullback because we were short on running backs at the time,” Kang said. “Now that we’ve got some speed backs there, like Andrew Hamilton (previously at Delaware State), they really don’t need me back there.
“I’ve got a lot of tape showing my running and catching skills. But in terms of versatility, I figured moving to defence wouldn’t hurt me.”
Kang emigrated with his parents and sister from Korea to Canada in 1987 at age 6, and started playing football at 12 in the Lakeshore organization on the West Island.
His goal was to make the CFL as a fullback because it was traditionally considered “a Canadian position” in the league, but realizes now that no longer holds true, with many teams optioning for formations with a single running back, with the fullback being replaced by an extra receiver.
“Five years later, they only use ace backs now,” Kang said. “I guess it was bad timing on my part.”
While McGrath jokes about how Kang “ate himself back to the D-line,” he’s says Kang is as good as anyone in the league at the position.
“He’s got good speed, quick feet and he’s tenacious,” McGrath said. “He can punt, play running back and the offensive line, as well. He’s just a great athlete.”
Kang hopes CFL teams will take another look at him next spring and hopes to hook up with one as a free agent.
“I just want one chance to give it my all. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll move on,” Kang said.
“If it doesn’t work out, well, my mom and I have been talking about me possibly going into the RCMP, but we’ll see what happens.”
