In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the middle of a movement in professional sports. The gravitation towards all things retro, vintage and old school in recent years is hot. As teams and sports equipment companies unveil their latest uniforms and logos, fans are spending millions of dollars to remain trendy while supporting their favorite teams.
And despite Ed Hervey’s insistence that the Eskimos were changing direction when he was named GM back in 2011, signing QB Jordan Lynch in January may have unknowingly taken the Eskimos back in time when it was common for players to play on both sides of the ball. Jordan Lynch is a throwback player.
Lynch hasn’t played a series on defense but it wouldn’t surprise anyone should the opportunity present itself given he did play safety in Chicago when in prep school at Mount Carmel. Seven games in and the Eskimos have gotten far more than what they hoped for from the rookie.
And that’s a good thing because Lynch is as throwback as they come, as a football player. He has been more than what the Eskimos had hoped he would be and that’s what makes him so special. Jordan Lynch can do it all. He can pass, he can run, and he can tackle.
Yes, tackle. Not many professional quarterbacks today can boast about that, but Lynch can. With seven games played in his rookie CFL career, Lynch is tied for third on the team with four special teams tackles. The most one came against the Alouettes in Montreal when he flew down field and pasted returner Stefan Logan in the end zone for a single point.
Edmonton Eskimos special teams coordinator Craig Dickenson praised Lynch on Tuesday, saying “He’s a big part of what we do on special teams. We probably don’t win without him. It was a total team effort, but certainly Lynch had two, if not three, big plays in the ball game, including the tackle late to give us the tie, and he was our holder on our last field goal.”
Lynch also threw the ball once for the game’s only touchdown pass, and ran the ball three times for nine yards. This versatility will be invaluable to the Eskimos, who have been decimated by injuries through the first half of the season.
But let’s keep things in perspective when it comes to Lynch. He was never going to make it onto a game day roster unless something drastic happened to the Eskimos other three quarterbacks. Mike Reilly was the starter, Matt Nichols was the backup, and the now-retired fan favorite Pat White had the roster spots all but locked up.
The only way Jordan Lynch was going to make it off the Eskimos practice roster was with his toughness and competitiveness. The NFL scouts noted exactly those qualities in their scouting report, which had the 2013 Heisman Trophy finalist listed as a sixth or seventh round pick come NFL draft day.
For now, Jordan Lynch is an Edmonton Eskimo. He’s listed as a quarterback, but if you’ve seen him play, you’ll soon find out why he’s not only trending but does so with a throwback style.
