THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — For Ben Heenan, it’s the ultimate job interview.
Heenan, an offensive lineman from the University of Saskatchewan, tops the list of 59 prospects eligible for this year’s CFL draft who will be tested, interviewed and evaluated this weekend by coaches and GMs at the annual evaluation camp.
The league officials want to get to get up close and personal with the players to not only get to know them better but also see how they react to being taken out of their comfort zone.
“No question,” B.C. Lions head coach Mike Benevides said Saturday following the bench press testing. “You get poked, prodded, interviewed and put into stressful situations.
“When we interview them as an organization, we always put the kid in a chair and put six people around him and a camera in his face so you can see how they handle that… but it’s only the start. It doesn’t stop here.”
Heenan certainly has a lot on the line this weekend.
The six-foot-four, 310-pound native of Grand Coulee, Sask., comes in as the top-ranked draft prospect by the CFL’s central scouting bureau. Heenan, who took part in this year’s East-West Shrine game, showed well in the bench press, putting 225 pounds up 32 times to finish second overall to Western University defensive lineman Michael Van Praet (38).
Much of the emphasis on Saturday was on measurables with testing in the bench press, broad jump and vertical jump. On Sunday, the players will do the shuttle and three-cone drill and go through one-on-one drills in pads as well as run the 40-yard dash.
It marked the first time in three years the bench press record wasn’t broken. Two years ago, Laurier’s Mike Montoya recorded 40 reps before former Golden Hawks offensive lineman Mike Knill stunned observers at last year’s camp with a whopping 47 reps.
Heenan said he’s dealing with the added expectations that come with being the top-ranked draft prospect.
“I’ve always strived to be the best and that’s something I will continue to do,” he said. “To a certain extent nerves are a problem but everyone is going through the same thing.”
Not all the top prospects are here. Absentees among the top-15 ranked players include NFL hopefuls defensive end Tyrone Crawford of Boise State (No. 2), Virginia offensive lineman Austin Pasztor (No. 3), Wofford defensive end Ameet Pall (No. 7) and Georgia State defensive end Christo Bilukidi (No. 15).
Also participating are quarterbacks Billy Greene of UBC, Kyle Graves of Acadia and Kyle Quinlan of McMaster. Greene captured the Hec Crighton Trophy as Canadian university’s top player while Quinlan guided the Marauders to their first-ever Vanier Cup title last season.
Heenan offers much more than just strength on the offensive line. He’s also versatile, able to play both guard and tackle, a much sought-after quality by CFL teams, who can only dress 42 players per game.
But Heenan is also anxious to give CFL coaches and GMs a glimpse into the type of person he is and tell them firsthand that football matters very much to him.
“I think teams are going to find I’m a very genuine person and very ready to make the jump to pro football,” he said. “I’m ready to go to work.”
Benevides said the Lions spoke with Heenan on Friday night and came away impressed.
“He’s a tremendously intelligent and confident young man,” Benevides said. “He performed extremely well at the East-West Shrine game and is a guy who I think still has some growing to do.
“When I look at him, I see the complete package: confident, strong, performs well, has good feet… he’s a guy who can play a long, long time in this league.”
Hamilton Tiger-Cats GM Bob O’Billovich said Heenan struggled initially during practice at the East-West game adjusting to the nuances of the four-down American game while coming off a lengthy layoff. But O’Billovich added Heenan improved noticeably as the week went on.
And O’Billovich said if a CFL team is in the market for a quality offensive lineman in the draft, Heenan would certainly fit the bill early in the selection process.
That could be good news for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who hold the first overall selection in this year’s draft and made shoring up the offensive line an off-season priority.
The Riders signed centre Dominic Picard and tackle Brendon LaBatte in free agency but also lost veteran offensive lineman Gene Makowsky to retirement.
Naturally, growing up in Saskatchewan Heenan remains a Riders fan and would love to play professional in his home province.
“Yes, I grew up on a farm outside Regina and watched them very closely,” he said.
Benevides and O’Billovich agree the talent pool in the Canadian university ranks has increased dramatically over the years, giving CFL teams a much deeper talent pool to choose from.
“Right across the board I think the CIS people are doing an outstanding job of improving that,” said Benevides. “Things have changed… these kids are lifting at an earlier age, they’re eating way different, the science of training has changed dramatically and they’re putting a lot of effort into that. There is tremendous growth all along.”
And improvements at the CFL evaluation camp as well as others players can attend only helps the young prospects, O’Billovich added.
“Canadian players are getting a much better opportunity to at least be looked at and see if they have a chance to hook on with somebody,” he said.
