Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
Leading the CFL in passing by some 300+ yards, Henry Burris’ aerial attack is poised to be one of the league’s leaders once again this season, thanks in no small part to the wealth of talent he has at his fingertips in the receiving corps.
“One of the things I said about our group going into the season is that we have so many great skill players,” said Burris.
“We’ve got a number of guys who have touched the ball and made a lot of plays for us… if you take away one thing away then it opens up something else.”
One of those offensive weapons is Bakari Grant, who midway through his third CFL season is on pace to double his career-highs in catches and receiving yards. As for the reason for his success, Grant has found a rather simple explanation.
“I’ve been staying on the field, that’s the biggest factor when you look at stats, especially in the pros,” he said after practice Tuesday.
“In 2011, I was a rookie, still getting used to the game and played just over half the season,” he continued. “And in 2012, I was out for six weeks with a broken hand. Fortunately, I’ve been healthy for the most part this season, hopefully it stays that way and I can build on my success.”
Grant is currently ranked second on the Ticats in receiving yards through the first eight games of 2013, and is just one yard shy of his career-high 507 yards from the 2011 season. But the one statistical category Grant hasn’t yet been able to fill this season is the one which many put the most stock in: the almighty touchdown catch.
“Touchdowns will come when they come,” Grant said. “Obviously touchdowns are a push for a receiver, but we go with the game plan that’s called. Fortunately I’ve been getting the yards and the catches and making some plays, but the TDs will come when they come, and if they don’t, so be it.”
When I asked Grant about Hamilton’s depth at receiver and the team’s lack of a “number one” guy that defences can key-in on and neutralize, he respectfully disagreed, and offered his own interpretation of the team’s success spreading the ball.
“For me I see it as almost the opposite,” Grant said. “We have a lot of go-to receivers. Certain game plans are geared towards certain guys, and it’s worked out for us so far this season. It’s almost as if we have three or four number one receivers.”
Regardless of how you view the receiving situation in Hamilton, it can only be seen as a positive. Grant is one of several Ticats playmakers finding great success in 2013, and with the way this offence is rolling right now, few should be surprised to see it continue into November.
