Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
RUNNING BACKS
Heading into camp, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats backfield features a couple of familiar faces as well as several dynamic rookies looking to land a coveted roster spot.
Returning to Hamilton is Chevon Walker who rushed for over 650 yards last season while splitting carries with since-departed Avon Cobourne. Despite sharing the backfield role, Walker still managed to score eight total touchdowns due to his versatility.
An ex-track star, Walker ran a 4.28 second 40 yard dash in 2012, which is a testament to his speed and explosiveness. Walker burst onto fans’ radar early in 2012 with a couple of strong performances out of the gate, highlighted in week two when he recorded over 150 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, including a 95-yard reception from quarterback Henry Burris. Walker’s blistering speed and agility mean that he could be an extremely valuable part of the Ticats ground game moving forward.
Another familiar face is Daryl Stephenson, who played significant time at fullback in 2012. Stephenson has shown versatility during his time in Black and Gold, serving as a very capable blocker and a threat out of the backfield, as evidenced by his two receiving touchdowns last year.
A trio of young American tailbacks will also strive to earn a role on this year’s squad.
C.J. Gable is a CFL rookie who spent his college career at USC, where he played both in the backfield and as a kick returner. His playing time was limited, but in four years he managed 1,500 yards on 308 carries while scoring 13 touchdowns. Gable finished his NCAA career at USC ranked sixth all time in return yards, and his experience at special teams could make him a valuable asset to the Ticats offence.
Montel Harris played four seasons at Boston College before transferring to Temple for his final year of NCAA eligibility. Harris finished his collegiate career with 5,453 all-purpose yards and 42 total touchdowns. His 3,735 rushing yards, 782 carries, and 22 100-yard games are all Boston College records, and he was named first-team All-Big East in 2012 with the Owls.
Lindsey Lamar amassed 3,162 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns in four seasons at South Florida. Lamar also played as a kickoff returner, and was named the Big East Special Teams Player of the Year in 2010 with the Bulls.
Joining Gable, Harris and Lamar at McMaster are three first-year Canadians.
The 37th overall pick in the 2013 CFL draft, Isaac Dell played four years at Wilfrid Laurier as a fullback. Dell finished his collegiate career with 594 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns, and served as the team’s captain in his junior and senior seasons. One of Dell’s biggest strengths is his athleticism; he posted the fastest shuttle time, second best vertical jump and 40-yard dash time, and third best bench press of all running backs at the 2013 CFL combine.
John Delahunt played four seasons at Connecticut as a tight end, where he caught 29 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns. Due to the nature of the Canadian game Delahunt will likely transition to a fullback, where he’ll be able to use his size and pass-catching ability to his advantage.
Simon Fraser alum Bo Palmer was a fifth round draft pick of the Ticats in the 2012 CFL draft, and is looking to make a splash in his first season with the team. Palmer rushed for over 2,300 yards and 23 touchdowns in his final two seasons with the Clan before being drafted. At 5’9 and 195 lbs, Palmer is a shifty back capable of making defenders miss in the open field, and he could make a solid addition to the Ticats in 2013.
RECEIVERS
Veteran Andy Fantuz is coming off yet another solid season – his first with the Ticats – in which he recorded the second-most receiving yards in his career, ranking first among Canadian players, and scored a career-high eight touchdowns. Fantuz has been performing at a high level in the CFL for seven seasons, and his 2012 performance shows that he has no intentions of slowing down any time soon.
Samuel Giguere is another receiver entering his second season for the Ticats. Last season Giguere caught 41 passes for 541 yards and a single touchdown last year as a rookie after spending a handful of seasons in the NFL. Giguere also spent time as a kickoff returner in 2012, and ranked second on the Ticats in kickoff return yards.
Another veteran among Hamilton’s receiving corps is Dave Stala, who had yet another productive campaign in 2012. Stala’s 655 yards ranked him third on the Ticats last season second among non-imports, while his four touchdowns put him in a tie for fourth. Stala eclipsed the 5,000 yard mark for his career in 2012, and he’s shown the ability to produce consistently even in his ninth CFL season.
Bakari Grant and Onrea Jones are also entering camp after productive 2012 campaigns. Grant has 80 catches and seven touchdowns in his two seasons with the Ticats, including a career-high five touchdown grabs in 2012. Jones made 32 catches in his inaugural season in Hamilton, scoring four touchdowns and recording over 450 yards receiving. He also led all Ticats kick returners with 24 returns for 700 yards for an average just under 30 yards per return.
Young non-import receiver Simon Charbonneau-Campeau will enter camp looking to improve on his 2012 season and make more of an impact in 2013. Charbonneau-Campeau made the roster out of training camp in his rookie year and played in 13 games, but was limited to just four catches for 52 yards and no touchdowns. Charbonneau-Campeau was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 CFL draft after four seasons at Sherbrooke and set school records with 138 receptions and 2,477 receiving yards.
In addition to these roster players, there are several CFL rookies trying to crack the roster out of training camp.
The 35th overall pick in the 2013 CFL draft, non-import Simon Le Marquand played four seasons with the Ottawa Gee-Gee’s. Le Marquand had his breakout season in 2011, when he caught 57 passes for 867 yards (second most in the OUA) and six touchdowns. He was named a second-team OUA All-Star as well as the Gee-Gee’s team MVP, becoming the first non-quarterback to earn the honour since the 2002 season.
Lyle Leong Jr. was acquired via trade from the Saskatchewan Roughriders on May 23rd for defensive lineman Jermaine McElveen. In four seasons at Texas Tech Leong Jr. recorded 32 touchdowns – second most in school history – and 1,877 yards on 152 catches. Leong Jr. also spent time with the Dallas Cowboys in 2011 before being signed by the Roughriders in 2012.
A record breaker at Duke, Donovan Varner played four seasons with the Blue Devils and became the only player in ACC history to record 60 catches and 700 ya
rds in three straight seasons. Varner also finished his collegiate career with the most catches in Duke history (207), and led the ACC with an 87.2 YPG average in 2009.
Justin Hilton spent two years at Indiana State University where he reeled in 72 catches for 1,224 yards and 11 touchdowns, and most recently was a member of the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals.
Eric McCree played four seasons at Fort Valley State and finished his senior year ranked sixth in the SIAC with 48 catches for 688 yards and eight touchdowns. Jay Diston spent time on the Ticats practice roster last year before returning to the Burlington Braves of the CJFL for their 2012 season.
Tampa Bay native Greg Ellingson finished his four year career with Florida International with 131 catches for 2,018 yards and 14 touchdowns. Ellingson went on to find success in the Arena Football League, playing two years with the New Orleans Voodoo and Tampa Bay Storm, compiling 62 catches for 1,339 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Finally, receiver/return man Ouslet Volcy led his ASA Avengers in receiving in 2012, catching 33 passes for 666 yards and nine touchdowns. Volcy added 236 yards on kickoff returns, and had six rushes for 65 yards and a touchdown his second year with the Avengers.
There is still no indication whether receiver/return man Chris Williams will report to camp in 2013, but even if he doesn’t, the Ticats have plenty of talented receivers yearning for their chance to shine in the CFL.
While the receiver position is one of great importance in the CFL, it is also an area where Ticats coaches need not worry, as their platoon of wide-outs was one of the best in the league last season. With the injection of young talent at the position in this year’s camp, expect that trend to continue into 2013.
Fun Facts:
• Simon Charbonneau-Campeau’s 1,121 receiving yards in 2010 is the second-highest single-season CIS total behind Andy Fantuz’s 1,300 yards in 2002
• Bakari Grant had the second most receiving yards in the 2011 playoffs with 184
• Bo Palmer has a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do
• Daryl Stephenson had a bobblehead created in his likeness during his final season at the University of Windsor
• Chevon Walker’s time of 6.77s in the 60m dash ranks 6th in Eastern Illinois history
