REGINA - All Teale Orban wants is a shot.
But like every other Canadian quarterback before him, the University of Regina Rams' pivot may be facing an uphill climb to make a CFL roster.
When Wednesday's CFL draft rolls around, the chances of Orban's name being called are likely very slim although there are some people in the football world who think the 22-year-old could be selected.
While not giving away his team's draft plans, Saskatchewan Roughriders general manager Eric Tillman says, "I think it's certainly possible. The system is stacked against him, but he's a first-class young man, who was very productive."
Whether it is through the draft or simply by being invited to a training camp, all Orban wants is an opportunity.
"A lot of coaches and GMs told me, 'I don't care where you're from, as long as you're good enough,' " says Orban. "All I wanted to know is that at least I'm on an equal playing field. If that's the way they treat it, then hopefully I get a chance and it just comes down to having to make the team."
But even if Orban does wind up in a CFL practice uniform when rookie camps open at the end of May, there are no guarantees.
- - - Some say one of the main problems for many years has been that quarterbacks trained at universities north of the border have simply not been able to keep up with their U.S. counterparts. And in the competitive world of professional football, teams don't always have time to develop a player over the course of four or five years in such a crucial position.
"Given the money and resources of U.S. collegiate programs compared to CIS schools, understandably, American kids are more advanced," says Tillman. "That doesn't mean more talented, but they're more advanced."
The pool of Canadian quarterbacks is also very limited with only 27 CIS schools. It would be a lofty goal for that few schools to produce enough quarterbacks to fill many of the 24 quarterback spots in the CFL considering how many university quarterbacks are produced in the U.S. every year.
Russ Jackson, who was raised in Hamilton and played at McMaster University, is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league's history regardless of nationality, but behind him there are several top CIS/CIAU quarterbacks who either never got a shot in the CFL or only stuck around for a cup of coffee in the league.
Even players with resumes like Chris Flynn (a three-time winner of the Hec Crighton Trophy) and Larry Jusdanis (who is third all-time in passing yards, fourth all-time in completions and fifth all-time in touchdown passes in the CIS) only hung around the league for a short while.
Tommy Denison was one of the last to get a shot in the CFL.
After winning back-to-back Hec Crightons in 2002 and 2003 with the Queen's Golden Gaels, Denison attended training camp with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2004, only to be cut before the season. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders in August of that year and hung around until the end of the season before being released. He signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2005, but was again cut in training camp and never caught on with another team.
"It was a lot of hard work and a lot of perseverance," says Denison, who spent the 2007 season as the York Lions' offensive co-ordinator. "Sometimes, you'd hear nothing from teams. It's not the old adage where no news is good news. When you're waiting to hear any news, no news is just no news."
- - - Despite a solid college pedigree, Denison couldn't last long in the pros and he, for one, thinks there needs to be changes to the non-import/import ratio to give those following his footsteps more of an opportunity.
Currently teams carry 42 players on their active roster -- 20 non-imports, 19 imports and three quarterbacks, for whom nationality does not matter.
"Nobody wants a mandated Canadian quarterback on the roster -- all people want is to be treated the same," says Denison. "How many teams dress more Canadians than they have to dress? Not many. If we were so deep as a country, there would be teams with 75 per cent Canadians and that just isn't happening. Teams do the bare minimum and right now the bare minimum requires absolutely no quarterbacks. Until somebody comes along and wants to change the ratio, I really don't see much of a change coming."
Tillman and Orban each want to see the ratio changed as well.
"Had the Canadian quarterback counted in the ratio, Larry Jusdanis probably would have played in this league six to eight years," says Tillman. "He would have been given the time to develop and there would have been reason to develop him because people develop their Canadian content. Canadian linemen are given time to develop. Why? Because it factors into the ratio. Young Canadian receivers are given time to develop. Why? Because it factors into the ratio. When the quarterback doesn't count in the ratio and teams are looking for instant gratification and have short training camps, (Canadian passers) continue to draw the short straw."

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008

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