Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
Quarterback is a position at which there is no room for error, and only one man can play in the starter’s role. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the CFL’s leading passer from 2012 under centre once again when the Tiger-Cats travel to Toronto to open the 2013 season on June 28.
Entering his 14th CFL season, Henry Burris is coming off the greatest statistical season of his career, and his performance in 2012 will mean he is likely to retain the starting role in 2013. Burris led the Ticats offence to a league-leading 538 points in 2012, and now his challenge is to improve on what was simply a spectacular season. In his first season as a Ticat, Burris threw for 5,367 yards, setting a new team record for passing yards in the process. Burris also set a team record with a league-leading 43 touchdowns. He currently ranks fifth in passing yards and fourth in touchdowns in CFL history, and he’ll be hungry to put up big totals once again in 2013.
While Burris has a virtual lock on the starting job, the backup position is wide open, and there are three other quarterbacks on Hamilton’s roster eager to seize that role.
Returning to the Ticats in 2013 along with Burris is Dan LeFevour, who is entering his second CFL season after a successful career at Central Michigan. LeFevour acted as the third stringer for the Ticats last year after spending time as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL in 2011. LeFevour hasn’t yet thrown a regular-season pass for the Ticats, but he got his first glimpse of the CFL in the 2012 preseason, where he completed over 50% of his passes for 136 yards and a touchdown while adding 41 yards rushing. LeFevour’s exhibition experience, as well as his familiarity with his teammates, may give him an edge over other quarterbacks in camp.
New acquisition Brian Brohm was highly successful at the helm of the Louisville Cardinals in the NCAA, and he comes from a family rich with football heritage. Brohm was drafted in 2008 by the Green Bay Packers and was signed by the Buffalo Bills, where he played in two regular season games in 2010. Brohm will have to work during training camp getting used to the extra man and the wider field in the Canadian game, though with his football pedigree it shouldn’t take him long to adjust.
The final player competing at the quarterback position is Jeremiah Masoli, who spent the 2012 season with the Edmonton Eskimos. Masoli gained experience last preseason with the Eskimos, completing 5 of 16 passes for 75 yards, and rushing twice for 6 yards. After the preseason Masoli was sent to the injured list, where he spent the entire regular season before being traded to Hamilton. Masoli showed his versatility as a dual-threat quarterback with both his arm and his legs at Oregon and Ole Miss, making him a valuable commodity in the offence-heavy CFL.
Though Burris is the clear favourite under centre for the Ticats in 2013, the other three quarterbacks will be gunning heavily for the backup role. Competition brings out the best in players, and that’s exactly what GM and Head Coach Kent Austin is hoping will happen in this year’s training camp.
Ticats QB Facts:
• Dan LeFevour is the only player in NCAA history to amass 12,000 passing yards and 2,500 rushing yards in a career
• Brian Brohm was drafted in the 49th round of the 2004 MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies
• Henry Burris hasn’t thrown fewer than 20 touchdowns in any season since 2003
