
THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Michael Knill is anxious to prove he’s the strongest college football player in North America.
The hulking six-foot-six, 350-pound Wilfrid Laurier offensive tackle is looking to smash the bench press record Saturday at the CFL evaluation camp. Former Golden Hawks tailback Mike Montoya owns the mark of 40, set last year.
But Knill, an Edmonton native now living in Rochester Hills, Mich., has set his sights on pushing 225 pounds up a stunning 50 or more times. That would also break the mark of 49 set by Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea at last month’s NFL combine.
“It’s not safe at all,” Knill said with a chuckle about Montoya’s record. “I’ve done more than 50 reps before so we’ll see but I’d definitely like to break the NFL record as well.”
Knill will compete against some of the top CFL prospects in this year’s camp, which begins Saturday at the U of T and runs through Sunday afternoon. The players will take part in a host of drills before representatives of all eight league teams, who will also interview and evaluate them as part of their preparations for the Canadian college draft May 8.
Knill comes by his bench-press prowess honestly, having competed in power-lifting events the last seven years. In those competitions, the emphasis is not only on lifting the heaviest weight possible but also using strict form as well.
In the bench press, for example, the lifter must not only touch the bar to his chest but also lock out his arms at the top of the lift. Failing to do either results in a non-lift.
Having to concentrate as much on form in training as the weight being used has resulted in Knill maximizing his strength development. He has also learned some valuable tricks to the trade.
In the gym, Knill uses a close grip while bench pressing, which reduces stress on the shoulders while shifting the emphasis to both the pectoral and triceps muscles. But it also makes the movement more difficult for athletes like Knill who have long arms.
On Saturday Knill will be allowed to take a wider grip, which will displace the weight load over a wider area and should allow the muscles to work longer before they fatigue.
Strength is indeed a valuable asset for an offensive lineman but it’s by no means the only important one. Quickness, great footwork and impeccable blocking technique are all crucial elements to a lineman’s overall success.
And Knill is anxious to show he’s much more than weight room warrior, adding he’s hoping to post a 40-yard dash time under five seconds, which would be very impressive for such a big man.
And he wants to show in the one-on-one drills he has the footwork and technique required to play at the next level.
“I want to show everyone I have the physical tools to match what they see in my game film,” Knill said. “I’m projected more as a guard (in CFL) and I’m excited to have the opportunity to show people I can play that.”
Knill won’t be the only player looking to impress this weekend.
Ottawa’s Brad Sinopoli, last year’s Hec Crighton Trophy winner, will be one of two CIS quarterbacks at the camp – the other being Regina’s Marc Mueller. The six-foot-four, 210-pound Sinopoli will be looking to follow in the footsteps of former Queen’s star Danny Brannagan.
Brannagan signed a three-year deal with Toronto after participating in last year’s camp, spending most of the season on the practice roster before appearing in the Argos regular-season finale.
CFL teams must carry 20 Canadians on their 46-man roster but rarely is a quarterback among them. The last Canuck to start a CFL game at quarterback was Toronto native Giulio Caravatta, who played for the B.C. Lions on Oct. 27, 1996 against Toronto.
Often the knock against Canadian quarterbacks is their lack of development compared to their U.S. counterparts. Many American-born players are introduced to football much earlier than those in Canada, receive better coaching throughout their amateur career and play at a much higher level of competition in the NCAA Division 1 ranks.
And given the win-now nature of professional football, the majority of CFL head coaches and GMs – many of whom are American – simply feel they don’t have the luxury time to spend developing a Canadian quarterback who might never play.
But Toronto head coach Jim Barker bucked that trend last year when he signed Brannagan. That thinking could be seen as good news for Sinopoli, who has more of the physical traits coaches feel are important to play the position than the six-foot, 198-pound Brannagan.
Sinopoli, 22, led Canadian university football in passing (2,756 yards) and touchdowns (22) and averaged a stellar 344.5 yards per game through the air. He was named an All-Canadian and guided Ottawa to the Yates Cup final before losing a one-point decision to the Western Mustangs.
Knill was a second-team OUA all-star at Laurier, his second at the school. Knill cracked the roster at both Michigan and Michigan State as a walk-on defensive lineman before transferring to Laurier and making the transition to the offensive line.
But Knill is more than just a good football player. He’s a solid student, too, enrolled in the MBA program at Laurier, majoring in marketing strategy and brand management.
However, Knill would be more than willing to put a life outside of football on hold for a CFL career. He lists his strength and quickness as his top two assets while admitting he’d have to work on pass blocking as a guard.
“I’m a tight end by trade so blocking comes naturally to me,” he said. “My first year at Laurier was the first time I played the offensive line and I think my film this year shows the improvements I’ve made in my pass-blocking techniques.
“But I’ve never guard before and I’d have to get used to pass-blocking sets from that position and being beside a centre instead of a guard. I’m excited to do it and am looking forward to doing my talking when the testing starts.”