Don Landry
CFL.ca
There’s a certain amount of Michael “Pinball” Clemons in Andre Durie’s story. It’s there in the thrill of a seven-year old football player meeting his hero for the first time. And it’s there in the eyes of an upstart rookie idolozing his head coach.
It has been, and remains, in Durie’s mind as he continues to forge an ever-growing importance in the scheme of things for the Toronto Argonauts.
A star running back most of his life, including an injury-interrupted university career at York (he still holds the OUA single-game rushing record of 349 yards), Durie has developed into a threat as an inside receiver and occasional kick returner, too.
Tied with Hamilton’s Avon Cobourne for sixth place in the CFL in combined yards with 734, Durie also leads the Argos in receptions with 33 and yards with 356.
Being a dual-threat both through the air and on the ground? Well, that sounds an awful lot like Pinball too.
Some of it may be happenstance, but there’s more at play here than just coincidence as Durie’s career arc mimics, in some ways, that of his boyhood idol.
At the age of seven, Durie met Clemons. He remembers it being a very important moment in his burgeoning football life.
“While I was part of the Mississauga Football League, we used to play our championship games at The Skydome (now Rogers Centre). We got a chance to meet the Argonauts and Pinball Clemons was the first professional athlete I ever met,” he said.
“He took my hat and signed it, and then he took it to the rest of the team and got them to sign it too,” said Durie.
“My love and my passion grew right there, I just wanted to play football. And that’s feeling he gave me… I wanted to play the sport I love and do the same that he did for me – give back to another kid, hopefully, in the same way.”
That’s how Durie, the adult, sees the Pinball effect; With a “pay it forward” mentality. As a kid, he remembers wanting to emulate Pinball’s style of play.
“He was small, he was fast, and he was relentless when he ran. Those were the kinds of things I wanted to do when I ran the ball.”
Durie’s not fussy about being compared to #31 either.
“He was an amazing player and I don’t think you can live up to the standards that he set.”
Head coach Jim Barker definitely sees the similarities.
“No question. I said that when he came into the league,” he admitted.
Barker’s not just talking about ability and style. When he talks about Durie’s importance to the team, it’s his off-field qualities that stand out most.
“He’s one of the first ones here every morning and you won’t find a better person anywhere in any walk of life.”
“He’s a pleasure to be around, he makes players around him better and he’s got a great, outgoing personality, very similar to Pinball.”
On the field, Durie is a tailback who is in the middle of transitioning to playing as a receiver. In that development, Barker also sees similarities to Clemons’ own situation as a player.
“Last year we took the time and devoted it to teaching him to be a slotback not knowing if he’d be able to make that change,” said Barker.
“The slot allows us to do certain things with Andre just like it did with Pinball. When Don (Matthews) came in as head coach, he made Pinball a slot because he wanted him on the field at the same time as (running back) Robert Drummond. Now we have Cory Boyd and we want Andre Durie on the field (at the same time).”
That’s not to say Durie’s days as a running back are over. While he’s rushed just 11 times so far this season for a total of 82 yards, Barker is determined to give him more carries. An average of 7.5 yards per attempt suggests that would be a positive move.
“We need to incorporate him more as a runner. He’s a very, very good running back. As the season wears on I think you’re going to see that,” said Barker.
It’s a development I’m sure Durie would embrace. However, if he never again got the chance to lug a ball out of the backfield, he’d remain quite happy to run routes over the middle.
“Yeah, it’s football, man. I love playing this game. It’s an opportunity to play and produce and be part of this team and get on the field. I look at it as an opportunity to help us succeed as a team.”
All the while, Durie takes with him the echoes of Pinball, still emulating him wherever he can.
“I try and take things from his game that made him successful and made him have a long career. Little things like being able to adjust your skill set, being versatile and not taking hits square on, being able to shift right before impact. All those things make you successful and produce yards, and they also help your shelf life, I guess you could say.”
THE EXTRA POINT
Durie’s rookie season came in 2007 (with Pinball as head coach), the same year the Argos won the East Division after starting the season with a 2-6 record. What about lightning striking for a second time?
“It’s definitely possible and we do have the right guys to do it. We just have to keep the intensity up and limit the mistakes and we’ll be good. I think this week has gone great so far and we have to keep it up for the next couple of days and take it in to Friday (against the B.C. Lions). Big games coming up.”
