Justin Dunk
CFL.ca
Everyone around the CFL knows the names of the top Canadian football prospects heading into the 2011 Canadian Draft. How could you not?
Whether you like it or not the top prospects get a lot of ink and hype and rightfully so.
Make no mistake; Anthony Parker, Scott Mitchell, Nathan Coehoorn, Matt O’Donnell and Henoc Muamba – to name a few – definitely deserve the attention of the bright camera lights.
But taking a closer look at some of the testing numbers and performances recorded at the 2011 CFL Evaluation Camp presented by Reebok, one can see that a couple of individuals went about their business with little fanfare and a quiet confidence about them.
“I feel like I’ve been an underdog all my life, but I kind of like that just because it helps me strive for the best, it pushes me [to work] harder,” said Wilfrid Laurier defensive back, Shane Herbert. “After all the hype it comes down to who can play and who can’t.”
From the Laurier Golden Hawk football program, Herbert put in work at E-Camp posting the fourth fastest 40 time at 4.59, vertical leaped 41.5 inches – good for the second highest vertical of all combine participants – and posted the fourth longest broad jump at 10’ 5”.
“I know coaches that see the numbers and coaches that see me play know that I’m a quality athlete,” said Herbert. “I have confidence that the coaches will see what I am capable of and see my athletic ability.”
The numbers certainly speak for themselves. Herbert definitely has loads of athleticism, but he was forced to deal with some adversity in his second year at Laurier.
Herbert suffered a compound fracture of his fibula and dislocated his ankle on Sept. 6, 2008 during a home game against the Western Mustangs.
“It was a very emotional time for me. That year was my first year starting, only my second game in I get a season ending injury,” said Herbert. “You don’t really know what your future looks like.”
The Ajax native worked his way back to the playing field in time for the 2009 OUA football season. Herbert felt he had come back better and stronger from his injury, but only to have another obstacle thrown in his path.
Herbert was over-shadowed in the Laurier defensive secondary by the boisterous and talented Taurean Allen, currently a defensive back with the Calgary Stampeders.
“He has all the fame. I was pretty much under the radar behind him,” explained Herbert.
Herbert is hardly a selfish player and didn’t mind that Allen was the most talked about Golden Hawk defensive back. Instead he learned from Allen – who was the 13th overall pick in the 2010 Canadian Draft.
“He was able to give me helpful hints and basically guide me through the process,” said Herbert. “I give a lot of credit to him because he was able to prepare me. We have a great relationship.”
Allen is not the only CFL calibre defensive back who has helped guide Herbert.
Richard Karikari, who played six seasons for three different teams – Montreal, Hamilton and Calgary – has been like a father for Herbert.
The two met when Herbert was 16-years-old and attended the Canallstar performance football camp. Karikari was one of the coaches.
“Ever since then he just put me under his wing. He was just there every step of the way,” said Herbert. “He basically laid out what I needed to do to be successful, if I wanted to play at the [pro] level.”
Herbert’s parents divorced when he was 10. His biological father moved out to Vancouver and left a young Herbert without a male presence in his life.
“I feel like Richard has been there for me as that father figure. It was very comforting to know that you can have someone as a role model and someone that cares about you,” said Herbert. “And is a male figure that has football experience and has been there and done that and can guide you throughout your life.”
Herbert proved he was listening to all the CFL advice he has received over the years – from Karikari and Allen – with his sneaky good performance at E-Camp.
“Eventually my turn was going to come, it was just a matter of when that was going to be,” said Herbert.
Facing off against Herbert in the one-on-one drills at E-Camp was receiver Liam Mahoney. Much has been made about the receivers available on top of the draft board, but the Concordia Stinger certainly made a compelling case to be selected come May 8.
“I think I had to run a certain time for teams to really take me seriously. That was the big question in my game,” said Mahoney. “The fact that I did run just as fast as some of the other guys that I think are more highly looked at, I think I did well for myself.”
Mahoney showed he could run with the best prospects by posting a 4.64 40 time, which was the sixth fastest among all E-Camp participants.
“There are other guys that were getting attention – I’m not going to name any names – but I feel like I did just as well or proved myself just as much as they did,” said Mahoney.
The former quarterback turned receiver feels that the change – from pass thrower to pass receiver – halfway through his university eligibility has given him a better opportunity to have a pro career.
“It’s worked out well from a CFL standpoint,” said Mahoney. “I think if you look at my tape I don’t look like I just started playing receiver.”
During E-Camp Mahoney quietly focused on what he could control, somewhat similar to the CFL pass catcher who he has patterned his game after.
“In [Concordia’s] offence I kind of had that role as Ben Cahoon and being from Montreal I was a big fan of his,” explained Mahoney. “I feel like it’s a lot more fun to be running from the slot inside and catching a ball in traffic and that is what he did so well [during his career].”
Mahoney ran into the CFL legend while working at a pool in Point Clair, Quebec during the summer of 2008, which happened to be the same summer he had decided to switch to the receiver position. Mahoney did not hesitate and went right up to introduce himself to Cahoon.
“He doesn’t play up the fact that he’s Ben Cahoon and he’s had such a good career in the CFL. He is a good role model,” said Mahoney. “Everything about him is the type of person – on and off the field – I would like to be.”
Mahoney already has played football professionally – on television as a stunt double – making several appearances on the American show called “Blue Mountain State”.
During one of the early morning Stinger football team’s winter workouts at a downtown Montreal gym, Concordia football play-by-play man, Jacques Dussault, came to find out if any of the players would like to be an extra on the show, which was being filmed at Olympic Stadium.
Mahoney showed up for the first day of filming expecting to be an extra like Dussault had told him.
“We show up and we meet the actors and then they tell us that [we’re] going to be the stunt doubles of the main characters,” said Mahoney. “We would do a couple football stunts and other stunts. Like a fight in the locker room.”
As “Blue Mountain State” picked up interest on television the show was picked up for another season and Mahoney continues to act as a stunt double.
In real football you can bet Mahoney hopes to have his playing career extended to the CFL level and he probably wouldn’t mind being the ‘football double’ of his favourite Alouettes receiver.
Justin Dunk is a former quarterback for the University of Guelph Gryphons. He is currently the Sports and Health Editor for The Ontarion, the University of Guelph’s Student Newspaper, and the host of GryphTalk Fridays at noon on CFRU 93.3FM.He has also blogged for The Score’s University Rush. Follow Justin on twitter @JDunk12.
