RITA MINGO, SPECIAL TO CANADA WEST
You’re sitting among your teammates or with family and you’re tuned into the Canadian Football League Draft, hoping against hope that your name will be called at some point.
If you’re a Canadian-born quarterback, given the infrequency of that occurrence over the years, it’s momentous.
Ranked at 17 on the final CFL Scouting Bureau prospects list heading into the Draft on May 2nd, UBC’s Michael O’Connor’s fate will garner a huge amount of interest among Canada West and U SPORTS faithful. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound pivot is viewed as the entire package, with a bow on top, making for a compelling pick.
O’Connor, originally from Ottawa, has been thinking about this possibility for a while.
“I’ve had some time to reflect on my career at UBC and longer than that, my whole football journey, and I’m just very grateful to be in this position,” he began. “If I’m fortunate enough to get drafted, I’m just feeling very thankful and appreciative of everyone who’s helped me get to this point.”
O’Connor will have a lot of people rooting for him, not least of whom are those that came before him, other Canadians who have also lived the dream of playing quarterback in the CFL and those who still are.
One of those is Andrew Buckley, a former University of Calgary star and two-time Hec Crighton trophy winner who suited up for the Stampeders for two seasons and is now two and a half years shy of his medical degree. He can well relate to the draft experience.
“For me, coming in as a Canadian quarterback, I had no expectations,” he explained. “I thought, oh well, draft day was just another day and I would wait until after that to hopefully get a shot at a training camp. I showed up at the Dinos’ draft party basically going to cheer on the rest of my teammates because it’s general knowledge that they don’t draft Canadian quarterbacks. As the night wound down … the very last pick, my name is up there. It was extra exciting.”
The expectations – some may say unfair expectations – placed upon a Canadian at the controls were keenly felt.
“It kind of sucks when people pin your abilities on your nationality,” Buckley acknowledged. “I know there are a lot of coaches that do that. I was lucky that (Dave) Dickenson and (John) Hufnagel both believed in me, which really helped my case. But there were a lot of coaches on the Stamps that thought that just because I was Canadian, I couldn’t be a quarterback. It’s really unfortunate.
"Just because they’re American, that doesn’t mean they’re a better quarterback. It’s just a bit of bias that needs to be thrown out the window in my opinion." - Andrew Buckley
“I’ve competed against guys in training camp who are American and they’re not good. Just because they’re American, that doesn’t mean they’re a better quarterback. It’s just a bit of bias that needs to be thrown out the window in my opinion.”
“I definitely agree with what Andrew is saying,” O’Connor noted. “Either you can play the position or you can’t, either you can throw the ball or you can’t, either you can process information quickly or you can’t.”
Brandon Bridge has been attempting to make inroads in the CFL for five seasons, initially drafted by Montreal, then becoming a Saskatchewan Roughrider and now a newly-minted Toronto Argonaut.
“There’s not much pressure,” he insisted. “It’s just that you don’t get as much of a chance. Being a Canadian, you kind of have to hit a home run every time as opposed to if you’re American, where I feel you get a longer leash.”
Bridge, of course, went through South Alabama en route to his selection in 2015. O’Connor, too, has benefited from exposure to the American game, as he played in Tennessee, Florida and one season at Penn State before joining the Thunderbirds. That's something he believes will serve him in good stead.
“I have a little different background than most Canadian quarterbacks,” pointed out O’Connor, who two weeks ago worked out for the B.C. Lions, Edmonton Eskimos and the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks in Vancouver. “I think that’s an advantage for me. I’ve been exposed to that coaching and that play and I think it works for me.
“I think I’ve proved to the CFL coaches that they shouldn’t view me as a Canadian quarterback; they should view me as a quarterback, period. I think I’ve proved that over my four years at UBC." - Michael O'Connor.
“I think I’ve proved to the CFL coaches that they shouldn’t view me as a Canadian quarterback; they should view me as a quarterback, period. I think I’ve proved that over my four years at UBC. That’s nothing against the whole narrative of Canadian quarterbacks. I definitely want to grow the game in Canada and give hope to kids playing quarterback across the country.”
O’Connor will be eagerly watching the draft with his friends, roommates and teammates in Vancouver. His quarterbacking brethren will also be keeping their fingers crossed for him, as well as Western’s Chris Merchant, another home-grown signal-caller with the possibility of being chosen.
“I’m always rooting for someone with the Canadian flag, even if I don’t even know them,” said Bridge. “If they’re Canadian and they can play quarterback, they definitely have my support and me rooting for them and hoping for success in their football career.”
“It would be nice to see more of them get a chance to compete in camp,” added Buckley. “The more the CFL can embrace the Canadian aspect of the game, the better it will be and I think it starts at quarterback.
“I think it would be cool for O’Connor to get a legitimate shot. Fans go to the game to watch the Canadian talent. In my opinion, they’re not there to watch a second-class version of the NFL. They’re there to watch Canadian players play in a good Canadian game.”
Marc Mueller, who had a terrific U SPORTS career at the University of Regina, is now running backs coach with the Stampeders and is another big booster.
“I think this year is a great example, there are lots of guys out there who can play,” suggested Mueller. “Noah Picton was in camp with Toronto and is going back again. I was lucky enough to go to a camp. Brad Sinopoli originally made the CFL as a quarterback. A lot of guys have made the step. You watch U SPORTS and the football gets better every year and the quarterback position is no different.”
Hugo Richard, who guided the Laval Rouge et Or to two Vanier Cups during his tenure there, will attempt to translate that success into a spot on the Montreal Alouettes’ roster this season.
“I sincerely believe that quarterbacks who have had success in the U SPORTS level … are capable of playing at the CFL level,” said Richard. “As long as you show potential, if you’re given that first shot, you’ll be able to hang in there.
“Honestly, the more Canadian quarterbacks are doing well in the league, the better for everyone,” he continued. “A couple of years if someone had told me I would sign a contract in the CFL, I would be like, yeah, yeah, a Canadian quarterback in the CFL … who has ever seen that? But it’s starting to change. You have a good class coming up with Chris Merchant and Michael O’Connor - those are two great candidates to earn a spot on a CFL roster. With me and Picton and Bridge in Toronto, we’re really well represented."
Credits:
Photo credits: David Moll, Rich Lam, CFL.ca