Richard Obrand
CFL.ca
Toronto — When the news of Terrelle Pryor’s situation at Ohio State broke this week the online sports world lit up with speculation about where the young quarterback might end up playing his next down of football.
To get to the bottom of the story we contacted ESPN football guru Chris Mortensen.
“The Pryor situation is interesting because it’s topical,” said Mortensen. “He’s in the middle of a scandal with Ohio State and then when you’re doing some reporting and discover that the Saskatchewan Roughriders have his rights, it sort of strikes you.”
The question is can Pryor succeed in the CFL?
“I’m no expert, but I don’t think it’s his best option. What’s certain is that he can’t just walk on to any team and start. The conclusion I came away with is that no, the CFL is not a good option for him because it just wouldn’t be an easy transition for him.”
Mortensen elaborated on his view of Pryor.
“Obviously the American style is different. I’ve seen good athletes go in there and sit there with their heads on a swivel, trying to learn the game as quick as they can. I don’t feel that it’s something that could enhance his career.”
“Personally, I don’t think the CFL needs Pryor.”
Always the reporter, Mortensen then took me through the process of his discovery of the Pryor to Saskatchewan story.
“I dug a little deeper and discovered that his rights actually belonged to the Alouettes, and from there I discovered that former NFL receiver Jerry Porter, who was signed by the Alouettes, actually tore his Achilles heel. It’s something we like to call a typical trail of detailed reporting.”
The quarterback has since announced that he is no longer interested in playing in the CFL.
Mortensen claims he doesn’t know much about the Canadian Football League.
“Once again, I am not an expert of the Canadian game,” he repeatedly said over the phone Thursday morning.
But based on our short conversation, I would have to disagree with the award winning journalist.
“The CFL is established, it has its own identity which is what makes it so unique,” he said.
Mortensen couldn’t have been more on-target with his assessment of the Canadian game.
His opinions varying from Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman, quarterbacks Anthony Calvillo and Darian Durant and even the recent rumours of Terrelle Pryor potentially landing in Regina could have fooled anyone into thinking he’s been watching the CFL his entire life.
Mortensen seemed to recognize how difficult it truly is for an American star to come up to Canada and compete for a starting job. Like Pryor, Roughriders quarterback Chris Leak also found his way to the CFL through the league’s negotiation list.
Leak, an NCAA National Champion with the Florida Gators, is still in the process of finding his niche in the CFL, three-years after arriving.
Leak’s rights initially belonged to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was eventually released by Hamilton and was immediately scooped up by the Alouettes, only to be released this past off-season and sign as a free agent with the Riders.
“The CFL is a passing league and because of the field dimensions you really have to be able to make that throw. I’ve known Chris for a very long time, since his high school days, and I really like him as a young man, but I have some doubts about his ability to make all the throws,” he said from his home in Georgia.
Mortensen then went on to analyze some of the elite talent that performs week-in-week-out during the CFL season.
“Darian Durant is a good quarterback,” he said unexpectedly following his Leak observations.
“He was a solid quarterback for North Carolina too,” he added.
“And then you have a guy like Anthony Calvillo. He’s a legend in the CFL and almost made it with the Pittsburgh Steelers a few years back.”
Staying on the topic of the Alouettes, Mortensen certainly did not shy away from his opinion of Trestman.
“In Montreal, Trestman has found himself haven,” he said assertively.
“Here’s a guy who I really believe loves being a head coach in the CFL. He’s got such a great offensive mind and is a fantastic leader. You know he was there with Steve Young in San Francisco?” he asked me.
As a fan of the football in general, not just the NFL and NCAA, Mortensen explained that his ESPN crew is often keeping an eye on CFL games during the post-season.
“Chris (Berman) loves it, he loves to have fun with it and mention it on the air whenever he can,” said Mortensen.
A great football mind, Mortensen seemed as though he simply enjoyed talking about the game. His passionate tone and knowledge of the game on a global scale is one that is truly impressive.
Who knows? With the looming lockout in the NFL, perhaps we’ll hear more from Mortensen.
“If you have something interesting to talk about, I’m here,” he concluded.
