Mitch Ward
CFL.ca
When the Winnipeg Blue Bombers placed veteran offensive lineman Kelly Bates on the nine-game injured list last season, their loss quickly became the gain of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies’ lineman Patrick Neufeld.
“You can’t always control the coaches’ decisions or the front office, but as long as you keep that in mind and work as hard as you can, you put yourself in the best position to be successful.” -Kelly Bates
Bates, who won a Vanier Cup with the Huskies back in 1998, returned to his alma mater last season to help coach the offensive linemen. While back in Saskatoon, he became somewhat of a mentor for Neufeld, a top O-line prospect in the 2010 Canadian Draft.
For Bates it was a chance to see what life might be like after his playing days are done. It was a chance to see the game from a coach’s perspective.
“Seeing it from this side of the field you really realize the amount of work that coaches put in.” says Bates. “Coaches want to help put you in a situation where you can succeed. They really take it personally and take pride when their players succeed.”
For Neufeld, it was a chance to learn from a proven CFL veteran. “Working with Kelly was awesome,” he says, “we still talk all the time, it’s great getting to know the game through Kelly’s eyes, through the eyes of a pro.”
The Huskies have a strong history of producing outstanding offensive linemen thanks in large part to the coaching of long-time assistants Bart Arnold and Travis Serke who have coached the likes of Scott Flory and Bates himself. Adding Bates to the coaching mix only made a good group even better.
The results showed in Neufeld’s play as he was named a Canada West All-Star following the 2009 season.
“I think he has all the skills he needs to make it at the next level. He has great footwork, great technique and a great work ethic,” Bates says of his young protégé.
“He is a prototypical Huskie. He came in as a defensive lineman and when he was asked to switch to O-line, he said ‘I’d love to’ and worked his butt off. Those are the types of guys who you want to see succeed and have the shot to make it as a pro.”
Huskies head coach Brian Towriss also has a lot of praise for Neufeld, who still has two years of CIS eligibility remaining. “Paddy is like a sponge; he has great work ethic and has evolved into a leader on our team. He is very composed, very bright and consistent,” he says.
Pretty high praise for a guy who was never really into football growing up.
As a kid, Neufeld was more interested in basketball and, believe it or not, water polo. He didn’t start playing football until grade 11.
“I was a bit of a speedster in the pool,” he quips. “People would see me and think I was just some fat guy and then I’d blow by them.”
But once he strapped on the pads, he fell in love with the sport and hasn’t looked back.
Bates is hoping to revitalize his career in 2010 with his home province team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Last month Neufeld participated in the CFL’s Evaluation Camp presented by Reebok in preparation for the upcoming Canadian draft on May 2.
“It was awesome, getting to see how I stacked up against the other prospects and see some of the guys from the East-West game and just put faces to names and meet some of the people from around the league,” Neufeld said of the experience.
“Overall I think I did well, I think I did really well in the one-on-ones and the on the field drills. I would have liked to have done better on the bench though.”
The thought of potentially playing professionally is something Neufeld relishes.
“At first it was overwhelming to think I could play pro. Being from Saskatchewan I was always going to Rider games and now to think that I could do that I’m so excited and I’m going to do everything in my power to make that dream come true,” says the 21-year-old Regina native.
All he can do now is wait for May 2 to see if he will get that shot.
If anyone knows what Neufeld is going through it is Bates, who was selected by the BC Lions in the fourth round of the 2001 Canadian Draft.
Besides helping Neufeld with his on-field technique Bates has given the young Huskie lots of advice about the difference between playing in the CIS and playing in the CFL.
“I always tell kids the one thing you can control is how hard you work. You can’t always control the coaches’ decisions or the front office, but as long as you keep that in mind and work as hard as you can, you put yourself in the best position to be successful,” he says.
“You have to remember it’s a business first and foremost, and even though we love to play and be out there, it is a business and you need to take things with a grain of salt some times and not take them personally.”
Neufeld impressed the scouts with his play during on-field testing at the 2010 CFL E-Camp in March.
Neufeld’s play in the one-on-ones and on field drills at E-Camp has gotten him plenty of interest heading into the draft. His biggest drawback at this point though is his strength. He put up 12 repetitions on the bench press at E-Camp. On the bright side, he is still only 21 and will continue to get much stronger.
“I have been working really close with our strength and conditioning coach to increase my size and strength,” he says. If he can add that extra strength to his already excellent technique he could very well develop into a great CFL offensive lineman.
An extra year at the CIS level could also help Neufeld says Towriss, “Paddy would be a solid pick and he could have a great future in the CFL. It would be great for him to get the experience of a training camp and then have a chance to come back and fill out for another year.”
As for Bates, while he had a taste of coaching last season his playing days aren’t over just yet. The 34-year-old, who has played with both the Lions and Blue Bombers, signed a contract with his home province Roughriders this past off-season.
Asked about the potential of maybe playing against or even with Neufeld, Bates laughs and says, “I guess that tells you two things: One, you’re getting old and two, it’s nice to think that maybe you helped a little in getting him there.”
