CFL.ca/Alouettes
When it comes to relay teams, Canadian speedsters have great footsteps to follow: Surin-Bailey-Esmie-Gilbert won Gold at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996.
Fast-forward 17 years, and the foursome of Richardson-Green-London-Bruce, the sprinters for Anthony Calvillo, will be looking to avoid heartbreak like London England’s 2012 ill-fated team of Smith-Smellie-Warner-Connaughton.
| The Ageless Wonder |
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Anthony Calvillo will be making his 271st career start in tonight’s opener (his 20th year) and carries a 165-105 W-L record (155-75 with Montreal in 14 seasons). He needs just 1,506 yards to reach 80,000 and ranks #4 all-time in CFL regular season games played with 322. This will be the 14th straight season he has been his team’s QB starter in Week #1. |
If they intend on doing so, then they’d better learn from a forgotten 4 x 1,000-yard relay team:
Copeland-Cavil-Cahoon-Anderson.
They were the first CFL fearsome foursome to rack up 1,000 yards each in a single season. It was 2004 and Year three of “Don Matthews’ Dynasty” in Montreal.
That year, Calvillo seemed destined to head to a third consecutive Grey Cup appearance.
The indestructible Ben Cahoon complimented the swagger of Jeremaine Copeland and Kwame Cavil, who put as much theatrics into their endzone celebrations as they did diligence in running their routes. Thyron Anderson, a lanky target with long loping strides would complete the group of receivers, each with different complimentary skills.
Their dream season became a nightmare in the Eastern Final at Olympic Stadium when Calvillo was forced out of the game with a separated shoulder. Ted White, who had never won a CFL regular season game, stepped in as his replacement and the Als were quickly separated from victory.
But tonight, SJ Green, Jamel Richardson, Brandon London and Arland Bruce lll are at the starting blocks, hoping to duplicate what has only been done once before.
They don’t burst out of the blocks unless Calvillo’s offensive line keeps him upright. Centre Luc Brodeur-Jourdain says in world when the only stat that’s kept for blockers is the negative one – sacks allowed – they’ll take pride in everything the receivers can pull off.
“Anthony reads the field so well, he knows where the soft spots are and he’s getting rid of the ball in two seconds. On the O-line we’re taking pride in others’ achievements,” said Brodeur-Jourdain.
The swagger guys with the flashy stats will have to do likewise.
Do the math. Every one of them needs 55.6 yards-per-game. Bruce averaged only 46.4 in 2012 but missed one third of the season and the Als’ returning top trio averaged 217 combined when healthy. Total average: 65 yards-per-game and they are all intent on raising the bar in 2013.
Football, though, is not math.
“That’s Mike Miller’s job,” Calvillo joked when I first brought up juggling the footballs and personalities at training camp. Great hands have been known to be attached to strong egos.
“I’ve been very impressed with Bruce,” says Calvillo after taking a look at Winnipeg’s swank new home.
“He’s come in here as a quiet guy, but man does he get open. You see even in pre-season the respect he gets from DBs…you see it all the time. I think it’s really going to help our team out, having another exciting weapon.”
“My job is to find the open guy. The challenge is for Mike Miller, the new offensive coordinator, to come up with enough plays to get all these guys involved.”
Head Coach Dan Hawkins says his club is blessed.
“The whole idea of being selfless…that’ll be the true test of any team. If you don’t catch a ball and you win by three touchdowns are you still happy?”
“I’ve been impressed with all those guys…their work ethic, their attention to detail. I haven’t anything of them complain or moan. I’ll say hey ‘don’t worry, your plays are gonna come.’”
Can you suffer a poverty of abundance? In 2012, if London scored, it was to the exclusion of Richardson and Green.
Only once all season did Green and Richardson score in the same game and not at all in the playoffs.
The Big 3 all played in the first six games of regular season, but the trio was intact for only two other games (in September). Only once did they grab five passes each in a game. And only once did more than one break the 100+ receiving yards plateau in the same game.
Bruce, a presumed deep threat, had only three catches of at least 30 yards last season, third fewest among receivers with more than 600. Richardson, Green and London combined for 31 in only 41 games total.
Still, Bruce is #2 among all active CFLers in 100-yard games (Geroy Simon 62, Bruce 27, with Richardson closing fast at 24).
Calvillo can help by spreading the endzone glory. Bruce scored five TDs among just 43 receptions and that’s more than Green and London (only seven combined on 104 receptions covering almost 2,000 yards).
Richardson says the elusive task is definitely a possibility.
“It’s going to be fun, especially with (Arland Bruce). We just need him to be him and do what he does. We’re gelling better. I think we’ll definitely be able to (all get 1,000 yards).”
Richardson laughs out loud at the suggestion he hog 2,000 yards and leave the other three scuffling for their 1,000-yards.
“I think it will be shared evenly.”
Bruce, meanwhile, has never been “swagger-challenged” and relishes his role.
“I love playing with guys like that who just have that confidence. Myself, B-London, J-Rich, SJ, we get that rhythm…there can be a 4 x 1,000 relay.”
Could this be the best group Bruce has played with? “We’ll see. It has the potential to be up there. You don’t know who the primary target is because we all run routes so well.”
“AC has been doing it 20 years. It all depends who has the hot hand and the blinking red shoes on. Hopefully it’s me. We’re all humble kings in this thing and we’re not competing WITH each other, we’re working FOR each other.”
As the first-year Alouette, Bruce denies he’ll have to curry favour with his QB by buying breakfasts or dinners on the road for his veteran QB.
“I’m past that stage, but if I do go get some Gummy Bears and Jolly Ranchers I’ll distribute to the quarterbacks and …keep that camaraderie going.
London thinks he can step up into the 1,000 yard club for the first time in his career.
“Most definitely. The addition of Arland Bruce is not going to take balls away from guys. I think it’s going to open up a lot of things, the way he goes over the middle. I’m the guy who has to make plays and continue to prove myself. “
“I don’t think it’ll be hard to share,” London concludes.
“We do diligence for each other. We have a clear-out route, we run it just as hard as if we’re getting the ball. We do our job hard. I don’t think there’s going to be any whining. We want to win here.”
“You can have all the stats in the world you want. It’s a lonely off-season if you don’t win that Cup. We’re thinking about being great each game and you better always be ready.”
Blue Bomber Jovon Johnson begs to differ on behalf of CFL DB’s everywhere.
“Not going to happen. There are not enough balls to go around for all four of those guys. There are too many good defences in the league to allow that to happen. But if you let Anthony Calvillo stand in the pocket and don’t hit him, yes, it’s very possible.”
