Arden Zwelling
CFL.ca
TORONTO — It took three games but Grant Shaw can now say he is officially the sole place kicker for the Toronto Argonauts.
With the release of import kicker Justin Medlock on Friday, the Argos have placed all their eggs in Shaw’s basket — giving the rookie a vote of confidence and his first full time gig in the CFL.
Not that Shaw has noticed or anything.
“Honestly, I don’t really think about that kind of stuff too much,” Shaw said after practice earlier this week as Toronto prepared for their week four matchup with the visiting BC Lions.
“It’s good to know they’re confident in my abilities and they’ve given me the job to roll with. But I try not to think about things like that.”
Not a bad approach for the rookie kicker who will be relied on heavily to help the Argos rebuild after a pair of disappointing seasons that saw the team lose 29 of 36 games.
It’s not like Shaw — selected 11th overall in the 2010 CFL draft — has an easy act to follow either. Medlock was a rare bright spot for the Argonauts in 2009, converting 40 of his 46 field goal attempts and averaging 31.4 yards per kick.
But never mind all that, says Shaw. He’ll let his leg speak for itself.
“I don’t really think about it. I’m here now and none of that stuff matters anymore. I’m in the same battle as everyone else,” Shaw said. “It’s just a matter of going out there and doing your job at a high level.”
Toronto can certainly be pleased thus far — Shaw has wasted little time in proving both his accuracy and his power. Through the first three games of the season, Shaw is 9 for 11 on field goal attempts, including a 52-yarder against Winnipeg in week two and a 48-yarder against Calgary in week three.
That’s not bad for a CFL rookie playing in one of the sport’s most highly scrutinized positions. Every CFL new comer will naturally feel some nervousness in their first few outings — but none more so than the kicker in a league where every kick counts.
“I’ve had the adrenaline pumping for every kick — that’s for sure. But it’s a good feeling,” Shaw said. “I feel like I can play at this level and have a career at it. But I think the butterflies will always be there.”
The bonus for the Argos is that Shaw most likely hasn’t even scraped his ceiling. The six-foot-three, 208-pounder also played defensive back during his days in the CIS with the University of Saskatchewan which limited the amount of time he focused on kicking.
Now that he’s solely a place kicker, the 25-year-old can focus on tweaking and improving his boot.
“He’s got a very bright future — he’s just started scratching the surface,” Argonauts special teams coordinator Mike O’Shea said. “Now that he’s just a kicker he has started thinking about the little things that he didn’t think of before.”
O’Shea — a linebacker in his playing days — has entrusted much of Shaw’s mentorship to veteran Jamie Borham who handles punting duties for the Argonauts.
While O’Shea is himself a rookie when it comes to coaching kickers, Boreham has seven years of kicking experience in the CFL — a wealth of knowledge that he has been passing along to Shaw in his first few weeks in the pros.
“I’m not doing much. It’s Coach Boreham more than anything,” O’Shea joked. “It’s been great to see that Grant accepts the idea of learning from another player. He takes it quite well and tries to implement the stuff Jamie shows him every day.”
Of course, Shaw entered the CFL with an already impressive kicking pedigree.
The Edmonton, AB native represented Saskatchewan as a Canada West all star in 2009, hitting 19 of his 23 field goal attempts while adding 18 tackles and an interception on defence. He also tied a Canada West record with a 55-yard field goal — the CIS record is 57 yards — against the Manitoba Bisons on October 17.
“In the CFL you’re expected to be ‘on’ all the time and playing at Saskatchewan helped with that a lot,” Shaw said of his alma mater. “They treat their program like a professional program. It really gave me a step up on some of the guys that have come from other programs.”
Shaw’s preparation was evident as he was successful on his first five field goal attempts in the CFL and currently holds the highest distance average in this young CFL season, averaging 33.8 yards on his league-leading nine field goals.
While kickers are often some of the more eccentric personalities in football locker rooms, Shaw’s mental approach to the game is as simple as can be. Put in work, keep your head down and make your kicks.
“I just work hard and go about my business. I try to bring a good work ethic and that’s about it,” Shaw said of his approach on game day. “I’m just trying to stay level headed. That’s really all I can do.”
