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I'd say it's always very exciting to see a player perform a play that they are not normally required or designated to perform. When it comes to passing the ball, one only expects the quarterback to do that but when another player performs a successful pass, then kudos to them.

The halfback option play is when the quarterback hands off or laterals the ball to a running back or a receiver behind the line of scrimmage. That player in turn has the option of running with the ball, or before he crosses the line of scrimmage, to attempt a pass of his own to an eligible teammate downfield if he is open. The key to the play is fooling the defensive players, primarily the defensive backs. If the defensive backs think it is just a normal running play, they will first immediately run upfield to try to tackle the running player, leaving the other receivers wide open to catch a pass. Of course, if the defensive backs are not fooled, the player carrying the ball does have the option to run instead of risking an incomplete pass or an interception.

The biggest risk to such a play lies obviously in the fact that running backs and receivers are not nearly as experienced in passing the ball as the quarterback. Therefore, there exists the possibility that the pass attempt will be errant and fall incomplete or intercepted. When successful, however, it will usually lead to a huge gain. One such play was a key point in Super Bowl XL when Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El received a handoff well behind the line of scrimmage, and then he threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Hines Ward.

Who do you think is the best Lions non-QB passer, past or present?

Who do you think was the best non-QB passer in the CFL?

Since the halfback option play isn't used much at all, it's been a long while since I observed a non-QB make a pass in the CFL. I do recall that in a game back in 1985, a BC Lion running back received a lateral from Roy Dewalt deep in his own end zone. He attempted to run out of his end zone but then noticed two teammates wide open down field. He threw a long pass which was complete and BC ended up with a huge gain. I believe that game was against Winnipeg and I do not recall who that running back was. My guess is that it was Keyvan Jenkins.

I don't know about the lions but i would think Barrett when he started playing with the stamps would have been awesome at this play as he was a receiver when he first came up and played in the CFL.

lion24 wrote:I don't know about the lions but i would think Barrett when he started playing with the stamps would have been awesome at this play as he was a receiver when he first came up and played in the CFL.

He came up as a QB but ended up playing SB for awhile before returning to a role as a QB.

Who do you think is the best Lions non-QB passer, past or present?

Geroy Simon is the best Lions non-QB passer. Using Simon on a reverse or a quick throw to him behind the line of scrimmage, while in motion, is the best way to set up Simon. The Leos have used Simon in the past in this capacity.

Blitz wrote:

Who do you think is the best Lions non-QB passer, past or present?

Geroy Simon is the best Lions non-QB passer. Using Simon on a reverse or a quick throw to him behind the line of scrimmage, while in motion, is the best way to set up Simon. The Leos have used Simon in the past in this capacity.

Yeah, Geroy was the first (only!) current Lion I thought of. I think we've tried it about a half dozen times or so with him but unfortunately I don't remember it ever working. Actually I recall at least once or twice he wasn't even able to release the ball because either the defence read it or a teammate missed an assignment, so then he'd just tuck it in and run for whatever pos yds he could get. I see some of his rushing stats are listed at the league's website: in 2005 & 2006 combined, he had 3 carries for 4yds.

Paul Cameron of BC Lion, NFL and UCLA fame.

CAMERON, Paul HB #91 1956-59 47 GP

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... 81,00.html

The Gridiron Prospects
Monday, Sep. 29, 1952

With fall and football in the air, the experts plunged last week into their annual mid-September gridiron forecasts. The best guesses:


Pacific Coast. With a powerful running attack and plentiful reserves, California is ranked tops on the Coast, among the top ten in the nation. U.C.L.A., lacking depth, holds two aces: Runner-Passer Paul Cameron, tabbed by "Red" Sanders as "the best tailback I've ever coached," and Center Donn Moomaw.

http://www.aafla.org/SportsLibrary/CFHS ... v05n1b.pdf

The above article on UCLA contains info on other Lions from that era, notably, Primo Villaneuva who tossed some HB options as HB and QB here and who stayed in BC and Rommie Loud E.

The UCLA Bruins of 1954
By Joe Marvin, Jr.

The largest football crowd of the 1954 season, 102,548,
sweltered in the Los Angeles Coliseum heat (110 degrees
on the field with 57 spectators treated for heat prostration)
when the belting Bruins of UCLA steam-rollered the Southern California Trojans 34-0 to gain the Pacific Coast Conference championship.


In the first quarter Primo Villanueva, "the Calexico Kid," passed to Bob Heydenfeldt, who got behind SC'S great defender, Lindon Crow, for a 48-yard touchdown.....

The Bruins opened the '54 season with an impressive 61-0 victory over the San Diego Naval Training Center before a small crowd of 24,793 in the Coliseum. The halftime score was 40-0 as the Bruins marched to a new school scoring record. Villanueva, the successor to All-American Paul Cameron, scored three times from his tailback position on runs of three, nine and 11 yards. UCLA rushed for 379 yards in the one-sided contest.

Fernandez threw at least one way back in the before time. He was pretty skilled at it.

Proof of Paul Cameron's HB option toss is from the Ubyssey.

Interesting. Ed Vereb retired as a dentist in 2004. Primo Villaneuva who owned Primo's restaurant in Vancouver was known at UCLA where he was a teammate of Paul Cameron as the "Calexico Kid." We had good to great players in those early years but couldn't beat regularly the best in Canada.

FLASH!
Lions Crush Esks

LIONS 11 — ESKS 1

(By an Old Suppprter )
The Lions have finally roared ,
and the quivering tribe they
frightened back to the jungles
were no less than the vaunted
Edmonton Eskimos .

Yes, ladies and gentlemen and
football fans, the mighty Lions
dood it. Monday night they
clipped Edmonton 11-1 .
Think it's a proof reader's
mistake? 11-1. for the Lions.
You heard me the first time .
We hear the crowd was moderately
overjoyed . 27,0000 quarts worth.
It was a good ball game . The
Lions won by sheer guts and
sharper footballese.

Heroes were : new and fourth
starting quarterback Primo Villenueva,
Paul Cameron, Ed Vereb
and Canadian Ron Baker.
Edmonton's only score came
in the second quarter . A Lion
was rouged when Bob Dean's
attempted field goal was wide ,
Just before the half, Lions put
the dynamite under Hastings and
Cassiar, when Paul Cameron ,
after a pitchout from "da Preem" tossed a 20-yard pass to
Ed Vereb. Vereb fell across the goal line.
Baker converted the touch - down and gave Lions another
three points in the third quarter
with a 35-yard field goal.
Vic Chapman kicked a rouge
for the Lions' final point.
We think Mr. Parker needs a
new nib.

http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs ... _09_25.pdf

yeah i do that all the time on Madden 06 with my BC Lions

Lui Pasaglia, Bob Cameron, Noel Prefontaine. All kickers and ex QB's

TheLionKing wrote:Lui Pasaglia, Bob Cameron, Noel Prefontaine. All kickers and ex QB's

Nobody was or - in the future - going to be as dangerous and successful as Lui Passaglia was in faking 3rd down punts as Lui was with the Lions, especially in the days of Don Matthews here.

I took pride in telling my buddy correctly every time Lui was going to pull a fake on a punt. What was amazing is that if it was that clear to me that this was going to occur, it was likely more evident to the opponents who invariably were outfoxed by the cagey Big Lu!!!

The way the kicking game has gone and coaches coach, you just don't get the Lui types any more at kicker and coaches like Wally Buono don't like trick plays on a percentage basis alone.

Now you find teams using the second kicker to hold for FGs which turns into a night mare when the snap is messed up. I still like a QB in there like the Lions have done with Buck on kicking. That always keeps the def on edge.

Toppy Vann wrote: I took pride in telling my buddy correctly every time Lui was going to pull a fake on a punt. What was amazing is that if it was that clear to me that this was going to occur, it was likely more evident to the opponents who invariably were outfoxed by the cagey Big Lu!!!

The view from the stands is different from the players'.

TheLionKing wrote:

Toppy Vann wrote: I took pride in telling my buddy correctly every time Lui was going to pull a fake on a punt. What was amazing is that if it was that clear to me that this was going to occur, it was likely more evident to the opponents who invariably were outfoxed by the cagey Big Lu!!!

The view from the stands is different from the players'.

But the view in the spotter's booth is like the fans. :lol:

My point is that Lui had the football skill and sense to make the right play and he kept cool under fire. He was not just a kicker, but a special athlete with skills who could play football and could make big plays. Darren Flutie was skilled too and could do more than catch a ball. My other point is that I don't see kickers today working on tossing passes out of punt formation as they are kickers first and foremost.

I guess this is off the half back option play.

Now did Tommy Gun Larscheid ever take the pitch from Kapp and throw a pass? I can't recall but I do recall Tommygun as a quick scat back type guy who could run with the ball.

Back in the days when Larscheid played it was rare for anyone other than the quarterback to be throwing passes.

I believe that Jason Clermont used to be a QB in collage in Sask before an injury forced him to change positions (lucky for us eh?) I can't remember if he threw a pass in a game last year or not though.

Jeroy might be the best non-QB passer on the team, but especially if you are looking to the endzone he is also likely the guy you want catching the pass the most.