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WestCoastJoe
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http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/cf ... k-edition/
CFL Draft recap: quarterback edition

Andrew Buckley was chosen by Calgary with the 62nd pick in the CFL Draft. (Photo: David Moll)

Jamie Thomas

May 14, 2015, 11:26 AM

The 2015 CFL Draft was all about offensive linemen. The first three picks were o-linemen, and so were six of the nine selections in the first round.

Quarterbacks? Not so much. But of the two that were drafted and the one that was claimed right after the draft ended, each has his own interesting story.

Brandon Bridge
The Mississauga product has been part of quite the emotional roller coaster since the NFL Draft concluded on May 2. After not getting selected by any of the NFL’s 32 teams, Bridge attended rookie camp with the Dallas Cowboys and left there last weekend without a contract.

There was no doubt that someone in the CFL would take a chance on Bridge even though his first choice remains playing south of the border.

Turned out Jim Popp of the Alouettes thought he was more than worth it. Montreal took Bridge in the fourth round, making him the first Canadian quarterback selected in the draft since Brad Sinopoli in 2011.

Popp called Bridge “one of the top five players in this draft.”

There will be no converting Bridge to receiver, which is what happened with Sinopoli in 2013. Popp said that Bridge is “100-percent quarterback.”

Bridge tweeted this out Tuesday night.

Andrew Buckley
Mr. Irrelevant. That is the name University of Calgary pivot Andrew Buckley will have attached to his actual name whenever people talk about the 2015 CFL Draft. Buckley waited and waited at a draft party with his Dinos teammates for what seemed like forever.

“I was kind of getting disappointed towards the end as I was seeing five picks (left), then four, then three, then two and then it was my sports-and-information director (Ben Matchett) who saw it first on the ticker (that Buckley was drafted). He just shook my hand and said, ‘Congratulations, you’ve gone.’ I thought it was a dream at first.”

Buckley went 62nd overall to the defending Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders as the last pick of the draft. The six-foot, 200-lb. pivot is from the Stampede City, so the fact it was Calgary that took him made the night extra special.

“Makes it way cooler because like I’ve grown up watching the Stampeders and my family has been season-ticket holders now for 15 years or something like that,” he said. “We’ve been big supporters of the Stampeders and now to put on the jersey is like a dream come true.”

Buckley was one of seven Dinos to be taken Tuesday night, showcasing how much of an elite talent pipeline the U of C has become.

Jordan Yantz
Regina native Jordan Yantz also knows a little something the waiting game. The Mantioba Bisons quarterback spent the entire draft waiting for a call. And it didn’t come until after the draft was over.

“Starting at 6:00 p.m. (mountain time) and until I got my phone call at 10:45 pm, that makes for a long night.”

Yantz was back home with family in Regina, and every one around him remained optimistic throughout the process.

“My girlfriend was pretty positive the entire night. Being around my family—my mom, my dad, my brother and everybody—was very comforting for me,” Yantz said. “They just said, ‘Give it an hour, you’re going to get a phone call.’”

The draft came and went without that call, but that’s hardly the end of the story.

“I was talking with my agent (after the draft was over). He said he phoned BC right away asking if they wanted to get me into camp. He said they (the Lions) can’t because I’ve been picked up. BC wouldn’t tell him who picked me up. By that time he was still phoning around to every team to see which team had picked me up.”

It turned out to be the Blue Bombers, with Yantz getting a call from head coach Mike O’Shea.

“Coach O’Shea said, ‘We’re serious about you and what you did last year (took the Bisons to the national semi-finals), we’re excited about it and we want you to come in here and compete.’”
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WestCoastJoe
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Canadian athletic talent would seem to be second to none. What matters is what sport the young athletes focus on.

Canadian success in the Olympics.

In tennis we have seen Eugenie Bouchard and Milos Raonic perform very well in the toughest competitions.

Hockey. Always #1, and likely to stay that way.

Football. More and more, the Canadian talent is noticed by the big dog, the NFL.

Baseball. B.C. has sent a number of players to MLB, with great success.

Basketball. Steve Nash, twice MVP in the NBA. Top draft picks from Canada. Et cetera.
..............

Bridge. Buckley. Yantz.

So it just seems logical to me that Canadian kids can be outstanding quarterbacks. Lots of competition though. The football factories in the US crank out a lot of game-hardened, capable QBs. A lot depends on what sport the most talented Canadian athletes choose to play.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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Yantz is already at a point where he'd be considered a late bloomer. Fortunately for him he already has experienced parts of 3 CFL camps which should help him. That aside he's already 25 which means he's getting a late start to the pro game.
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Toppy Vann
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Given how the QBs are set in the roster now, there will never be another Canadian QB coming out of a Canadian university or community team.
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Hambone
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Toppy Vann wrote:Given how the QBs are set in the roster now, there will never be another Canadian QB coming out of a Canadian university or community team.
Definitely would be an uphill battle. Folks lament that the Canadian QB has no presence in the CFL. I suppose the other question to be asked is why is it NCAA schools aren't recruiting more Canadian QBs? It's obvious they scout Canadian high schools extensively given the number of kids who go on to get NCAA football scholarships. One would think if the quality of QB coming out of the Canadian high school and minor football systems was high we'd see a lot more detour via the NCAA route than 4 or 5 every 20 or 30 years.
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Hambone wrote:
Toppy Vann wrote:Given how the QBs are set in the roster now, there will never be another Canadian QB coming out of a Canadian university or community team.
Definitely would be an uphill battle. Folks lament that the Canadian QB has no presence in the CFL. I suppose the other question to be asked is why is it NCAA schools aren't recruiting more Canadian QBs? It's obvious they scout Canadian high schools extensively given the number of kids who go on to get NCAA football scholarships. One would think if the quality of QB coming out of the Canadian high school and minor football systems was high we'd see a lot more detour via the NCAA route than 4 or 5 every 20 or 30 years.
Who was the last Cdn QB in the NCAA, Jesse Palmer?
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.
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WestCoastJoe
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sj-roc wrote:
Hambone wrote: Definitely would be an uphill battle. Folks lament that the Canadian QB has no presence in the CFL. I suppose the other question to be asked is why is it NCAA schools aren't recruiting more Canadian QBs? It's obvious they scout Canadian high schools extensively given the number of kids who go on to get NCAA football scholarships. One would think if the quality of QB coming out of the Canadian high school and minor football systems was high we'd see a lot more detour via the NCAA route than 4 or 5 every 20 or 30 years.
Who was the last Cdn QB in the NCAA, Jesse Palmer?
A Canadian kid with talent might have to play quarterback at one of the top US high schools to get on the right track to NCAA and pro football. Similar to European kids that come to Canada to play hockey. That Canadian kid might also play hockey, baseball or basketball and see those as easier routes to a pro career. Only 32 starting QB jobs in the NFL, plus 9 in the CFL.

From the cauldron of competition come the top pros.

A Canadian as starting QB in the NFL or the CFL? Sure, but the odds are against it.

Mark Rypien was born in Calgary, and grew up in the US. He was a three sport star in high school in WA state, where he also attended college. He is the only Canadian born QB to win a Super Bowl.
John Madden's Team Policies: Be on time. Pay attention. Play like hell on game day.

Jimmy Johnson's Game Keys: Protect the ball. Make plays.

Walter Payton's Advice to Kids: Play hard. Play fair. Have fun.
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sj-roc wrote:
Hambone wrote:
Toppy Vann wrote:Given how the QBs are set in the roster now, there will never be another Canadian QB coming out of a Canadian university or community team.
Definitely would be an uphill battle. Folks lament that the Canadian QB has no presence in the CFL. I suppose the other question to be asked is why is it NCAA schools aren't recruiting more Canadian QBs? It's obvious they scout Canadian high schools extensively given the number of kids who go on to get NCAA football scholarships. One would think if the quality of QB coming out of the Canadian high school and minor football systems was high we'd see a lot more detour via the NCAA route than 4 or 5 every 20 or 30 years.
Who was the last Cdn QB in the NCAA, Jesse Palmer?
Brandon Bridge and Michael O'Conner were both in the NCAA last year. Not sure if they played much but O'Conner should get a good opportunity this year at UBC under the tutelage of Blake Nill, serving out his one year transfer suspension and perhaps vaulting back into the NCAA as a starter in 2016?
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Tighthead
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I haven't seen the issue of O'Connoor transferring back but it seems likely.

Syracuse had a QB from Windsor about ten years ago. He was the classic "looks good in the shower" guy. Big, big arm, but had an indifferent career.
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Tighthead wrote:I haven't seen the issue of O'Connoor transferring back but it seems likely.

Syracuse had a QB from Windsor about ten years ago. He was the classic "looks good in the shower" guy. Big, big arm, but had an indifferent career.
Without knowing the story - why would a guy sit a year out and go back and have another year out??

Why is he coming to UBC?
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Toppy Vann wrote:
Tighthead wrote:I haven't seen the issue of O'Connoor transferring back but it seems likely.

Syracuse had a QB from Windsor about ten years ago. He was the classic "looks good in the shower" guy. Big, big arm, but had an indifferent career.
Without knowing the story - why would a guy sit a year out and go back and have another year out??

Why is he coming to UBC?
According to NCAA rules O'Conner had to sit out one season after decided to transfer from Penn State (after a freshman QB had secured the starting role there). Here are excerpts of a recent story:
Although his scholarship wasn’t in jeopardy, O’Connor announced in December he would transfer. He checked out Syracuse University and a few other U.S. options.

About the same time, Nill was enticed to leave the University of Calgary after a successful nine-year stint in favour of UBC, where the football Thunderbirds had been 24-56 over the previous decade and hadn’t produced a winning season record (4-3) since 2004.

Nill wanted to send a message, quickly, that the “new” Thunderbirds would go after the best of the best in order to become the best, so he called the 6-5, 230-pound O’Connor and his parents.

“At least I had his attention,” Nill said Friday from Vancouver. “The fact that he was listening to me gave me some traction, but I still knew I was against all the U.S. schools. I fully understood his reputation.”

Nill said he gave O’Connor his “A effort,” with the same kind of pitch UBC made to Nill about academics, Vancouver and a new vision for Thunderbirds football. Coach and quarterback also discussed prospects for a pro football future.

If he had landed at another NCAA institution, O’Connor would have been forced to sit out in 2015, after which he’d have three remaining years of eligibility. Under Canadian Interuniversity Sport rules, he can play next season and have as many as five years of eligibility.
http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/local-s ... penn-state
It was announced on Wednesday that O'Connor is returning to his homeland, wooed to UBC by the team's new coach Blake Nill, who has a tendency of building winning programs.

O'Connor visited Vancouver near the end of December and was blown away.

"I fell in love with the city," said the 18-year-old O'Connor. "I know Blake Nill can turn the program around very quickly, but the decision was bigger than football."

The son of John and Debbie O'Connor started playing football as a seven-year-old with the Orleans Bengals, then later at Ashbury College.

So why Canada? Why UBC? Why leave U.S. scholarship money on the table?

"I talked to multiple schools," said O'Connor, rated sixth in ESPN's Class of 2014 pocket passers. "I just figured I didn't want to get myself into the same deal, where the coach leaves ... you never know.

"I'd never been to Vancouver. I got off the plane and the first thing that struck my mind was there was no wind and no snow. So obviously (UBC) was high on my list. But I wanted to give it some time. I thought about it for a couple of weeks and decided that was the best place for me. I know I'm going to get a good education and that surpasses what I could get in a scholarship."

How about adjusting to the Canadian game after being away at a prep school, Baylor in Tennessee, and at IMG Academy in Florida as a senior, then going to Penn State?

"I think I'll be fine," said O'Connor. "I played the Canadian game for six or seven years. I'm excited. I've got high expectations looking forward."
http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/02/12/ott ... te-for-ubc
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CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO -- Three Canadian quarterbacks already have contracts while several others will participate in camp through the QB internship program, as Canadian content under centre becomes a key theme across CFL training camps.

Brandon Bridge and Andrew Buckley have already made waves this off-season after being drafted in the 2015 CFL Draft by Montreal and Calgary respectively and earning contracts. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers followed suit with the signing of quarterback Jordan Yantz, who had appeared in Bomber camps through the internship program.

Those under contract won't be the only Canadian QBs in camp this off-season, however. The CFL implemented its quarterback internship program back in 2010 with the interest of developing quarterbacks, allowing each team to invite Canadian quarterbacks to camp without having to sign a contract and take up a roster space.

Quarterbacks in the program suit up in training camp and gain much-needed exposure to the CFL game, but aren't listed on the roster and won't dress in games. Approximately 13 CIS quarterbacks will participate in CFL rookie camps and training camps over the next couple of weeks with hopes of both learning the CFL ropes and also making an impression heading into the future.

The program began in 2010 with Brad Sinopoli, now a receiver with the Ottawa REDBLACKS, attending the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' camp. Kyle Quinlan attended Hamilton's camp in 2011, then in 2012 all teams were mandated to have an underclassed quarterback in attendance.

Here are the quarterbacks currently participating in CFL camps, starting with Wednesday's opening of rookie camp:

*Denotes participation through the QB internship program

BC Lions

Michael O'Connor, UBC*

Edmonton Eskimos

Drew Burko, Saskatchewan*

Calgary Stampeders

Dante Djan, St. FX*

Andrew Buckley, Calgary (Drafted in 2015 and under contract)

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Noah Picton, Regina*

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Theo Deezar, Manitoba*

Jordan Yantz, Manitoba (Signed as undrafted free agent in 2015, under contract)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Will Finch, Western*

Toronto Argonauts

Asher Hastings, McMaster*

Ottawa REDBLACKS

Hugo Richard, Laval*

Montreal Alouettes

Brandon Bridge, South Alabama (Drafted in 2015 and under contract)

All Quebec Conference starting QBs*
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Toppy Vann
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If O'Connor is at the Lions TC is it right that he actually won't play? Just watch? If so, that's a dumb way to get experience.

Nill leaving Calgary for the mess they got at UBC that only Tony Gallagher is worked up about isn't smart.

Normally I'm not a Tony G fan but he's spot on on this UBC debacle.
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Hambone
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Toppy Vann wrote:If O'Connor is at the Lions TC is it right that he actually won't play? Just watch? If so, that's a dumb way to get experience.
O'Connor may be in a different situation than other QBs going to CFL training camp internships. Keep in mind NCAA players who were eligible for the CFL Draft while still having a year of NCAA eligibility never participated in the combine because they'd forfeit that remaining eligibility. CIS players however with remaining CIS eligibility could participate in the combine and in training camp and still return for another year of CIS ball. I think if O'Connor has any thoughts about transferring back to NCAA ball then he has to tread very lightly with this internship. Stepping onto the field to practice in a pro training camp could be all it takes to render him ineligible for future NCAA participation.
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Hambone wrote:
Toppy Vann wrote:If O'Connor is at the Lions TC is it right that he actually won't play? Just watch? If so, that's a dumb way to get experience.
I think if O'Connor has any thoughts about transferring back to NCAA ball then he has to tread very lightly with this internship. Stepping onto the field to practice in a pro training camp could be all it takes to render him ineligible for future NCAA participation.
Toppy, I agree. What a waste of time and shame on the Lions for not living up to the spirit of the development rule. But it is not surprising.

Hambone, O'Connor is not going anywhere. He has a great situation in Vancouver with the Thunderbirds. It will a pleasure watching him play five years here with Nill at the helm.
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