The clocks have struck zero on the magical 2011 season for the BC Lions. Travis Lulay was named the 2011 CFL most outstanding player, on top of a year in which BC won the Grey Cup on home soil once again.
Welcome to 2015. The BC Lions currently have six quarterbacks on their roster and 2011 seems like ages ago. The once prized Lulay is now reeling after a year in which he finished three quarters of football. Yes, his ability to remain healthy and stay on the field are in question.
Talent at the quarterback position is highly touted and Lions GM Wally Buono has seemed to uncover diamonds in the rough time and again at pivot: Jeff Garcia, Dave Dickenson, and of course the CFL legend himself Doug Flutie were all Buono discoveries. However, Buono sometimes seems to get complacent. While loyalty is a desirable personality trait in most people, it isn’t helpful in getting a team back to contending for a title. This is professional football, and athletes do not receive “participant” ribbons.
Looking back on what was once a promising start to Lulay and the once fierce BC Lions, we can clearly see that how Lulay goes, so go the Lions.
| G/S | TD | INT | YDS | QBR | W/L | |
| 2010 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 2602 | 84.9 | 8-10 |
| 2011 | 18 | 32 | 11 | 4815 | 95.8 | 11-7 |
| 2012 | 16 | 27 | 10 | 4231 | 100.7 | 13-5 |
| 2013 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 2841 | 95 | 11-7 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 194 | 77.6 | 9-9 |
The main stat to focus on is games started. Granted, last season the Lions were praised for their defence, with Solomon Elimimian anchoring a very stout group of players. But by season’s end, Lulay had made only one start; he effectively missed the entire year due to consecutive injuries sustained to his throwing shoulder.
As we look at Lulay’s statistics from 2010 till now, there is a direct correlation between games started and productivity, which is no surprise. With Lulay starting 12 out of a possible 36 starts at quarterback in the previous two seasons, the Lions have also faltered, a direct result of Lulay’s durability.
The 2015 CFL season is quickly approaching, and for the Lions it marks a turn of of the page. With a disappointing 2014 season behind them, big changes were expected, and they have happened. Jeff Tedford is now the Lions’ head coach; George Cortez is the OC, and will work directly with the injury-riddled Lulay. The main concern for BC is who will be the unquestioned backup quarterback for the Lions, as Kevin Glenn, who was brought into to stabilize the Lions’ issues behind centre, is no longer with the club.
Meanwhile, this season is filled with pressure and unknowns for Lulay. Can he remain healthy and put up high numbers like in years past? Will he take the role of teacher and help the younger guns looking to earn the starting position? Will GM Wally Buono allow Tedford to start who he feels will give the Lions the best chance to win on a game by game basis?
No one can answer these questions until we see Lulay on the field. This could be the start of a change at pivot for the Lions. Despite the numbers Lulay is capable of putting up, you can’t win games based on what someone can do; the score is based on what they actually achieve. Is Travis Lulay finished? He may not be finished with CFL football as a whole, but if he sits the majority of this season like last year, he may be finished as a Lion.
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