John Hufnagel, Head Coach and General Manager, held a press conference Tuesday to talk about the 2015 Calgary Stampeders training camp and season. It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to what the biggest challenge the Stampeders face this season.
Hufnagel said the offensive line, particularly the offensive line tackle position, is a concern. “We have four internationals attending camp; we’re very pleased that Edwin Harrison resigned. We know Edwin’s a good football player; the problem with Edwin has been his health, to stay healthy. But I know he’s chomping at the bit to take advantage of getting back on the field as a full-time starter.”
But Hufnagel also commended the offensive line for their versatility, saying that any one of them could play numerous positions. That has always been Calgary’s secret weapon when it came to injuries later in the season, having that “next man up” mentality.
Another concern for Hufnagel is the “mystery” of how well the team adapts to the new rule changes and that will be a focus from day one of training camp. Punt coverage is also a focus due to rule changes and the Stampeders will need to have the ability to block big players.
Let’s talk milestones for the Stampeders. A few key players have milestones they want to achieve this year. First, Jon Cornish needs 89 rushes for 1000 career attempts and one touchdown for 50 of his career.
If we’re looking at breaking records, he needs 773 yards to surpass Earl Lunsford for 3rd place of all-time Stampeder rushing list. Juwan Simpson needs 32 tackles for 400 of his career and Charleston Hughes needs 11 sacks to surpass Stu Laird for 2nd place in Stampeder record books.
What about MVP Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell? A couple of interesting milestones could be achieved this season. Mitchell needs 287 passing yards for 5000 in his career. Certainly achievable, even in one game, considering last year’s performance. But what’s interesting is the fact that Bo Levi’s older brother Cory Mitchell is trying to earn his spot as a receiver on the Stampeder roster.
Certainly the CFL has seen brothers compete, the Flutie brothers most notably. Doug Flutie played QB for the Stampeders and his younger brother, Darren, was a receiver for the BC Lions in the same years. But the Stampeders have not had brothers on the same team. Cory, who played alongside his brother in college, caught 101 passes for 1,439 yards and 10 touchdowns. Bo Levi says his older brother has always been a mentor to him and feels blessed to have the chance to play together again. Needless to say, the coaching staff and Stamps fans are eager to see the dynamic duo on the field.
One challenge and milestone that stood out was that Calgary has never repeated a Grey Cup win. Coach Hufnagel addressed that issue by saying, “It’s something we have to have a great understanding of the difficulty of the task. We’re going to have bumps and bruises, ups and downs, peaks and valleys, but we need to keep a level head and make sure we work as hard as we can… everyone’s goal is to win the Grey Cup, to repeat, but having said that, you have to beat the first goal which is to get into the tournament.”
Coach Hufnagel is also approaching an important milestone this year; he needs 12 victories for 100 in his career. When asked about the importance of milestones, he said, “As a general manager and head coach, that is something that is distant; you’re just out there trying to win every game and hopefully the end result which is what is truly meaningful for the organization. But thanks for reminding me; I need 12,” he added with a chuckle.
Of course, one cannot talk about milestones this year within the CFL, and any football league, without addressing Michael Sam. Michael signed with the Montreal Alouettes and is an openly gay NFL player moving over the CFL. The news has been inundated with mostly positive stories about Sam’s arrival to the CFL and being accepted in our Canadian league, regardless of sexual orientation.
Jon Cornish, who is very active in the LGBT community in Calgary, commented on the acceptance of homosexuality in sports. “The tipping point was a while ago… in Canada when we legalized gay marriages. After that, it was like, the government says it’s okay, so why are we still not okay with it?” Cornish predicted Sam moving over to the CFL last year and is eagerly looking forward to watching him play here and being successful.
Certainly 2015 will be a year of milestones achieved by every CFL team. If Calgary should repeat a Grey Cup win, they join the few teams privileged with this honour in our league. It’s almost June. Get ready, CFL fans.
