It has been 20 years since a quarterback from the Canadian University (CIS) ranks has suited up and started a game for a CFL team. The last CIS quarterback to start a CFL game was Gino Caravatta. Caravatta, who played football at Simon Frasier University, made one of his few CFL starts for the BC Lions against Toronto Argonauts on October 27, 1996. In that game he tossed a touchdown, becoming the last CIS quarterback to throw a touchdown pass in the big league. Since then, the amount of CIS quarterbacks in the CFL has been abysmal.
In the past few years, I have spoken to numerous people, including CFL scouts, about the issue of why there has not been a CIS quarterback breakthrough. The number one reason is a lack of development in Canada for CIS QBs to succeed. Import quarterbacks start their development at an early age in the United States. These kids also have strong NFL aspirations. In Canada, football is not ingrained into kids’ minds at young age.
The CFL has acknowledged the issue of lack of CIS quarterbacks in the league and in 2012, they created a development program with the CIS. The program allows quarterbacks from each of the four conferences in the CIS to attend training camps of all nine CFL clubs. The program is the first step in the right direction to see a CIS quarterback start a CFL game.
Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes, Leaders in Solving the Issue
As of June 15, the Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes are the only two teams who have CIS quarterbacks on their rosters for preseason games.
Andrew Buckley, the former Calgary Dinos quarterback, was drafted by Stampeders in last year’s draft. He played in a preseason game for Calgary last year before he returned to University of Calgary in the fall for his fifth and final year of CIS football. Buckley led the Dinos to a perfect 8-0 record in Canada-West regular season. Buckley and his Dinos teammates were for the second straight year upset in the Hardy Cup final by UBC Thunderbirds. Buckley passed for 3,162 yards along with 19 touchdowns in his final year. He also captured his second consecutive Hec Crighton. Buckley, with his legendary CIS career behind him, has made the Calgary Stampeders roster as the third string quarterback.
Jim Popp and the Montreal Alouettes are never afraid to sign Canadian quarterbacks or draft them (Brandon Bridge, case in point). Popp signed two CIS quarterbacks in May, Saskatchewan Huskies pivot Drew Burko and Calgary Dinos pivot Jimmy Underdahl. Burko passed for 1725 yards along with nine touchdowns in eight games last year for the Huskies. Underdahl only passed for 533 yards and had three touchdowns last year for the Dinos. Both quarterbacks saw their first taste of CFL football action in the Alouettes first pre-season game on Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Blue-Bombers. The two quarterbacks each played a series near the end of the game. Both will be returning to school in the fall for their fifth and final year of eligibility. It is likely that both quarterbacks will be battling for a job with the Alouettes in 2017 season.
Future for CIS Quarterbacks in the CFL
The Calgary Stamps might give Andrew Buckley a chance in the next few years to start a game. If this does not happen, three other names to look out for are UBC Thunderbirds quarterback Michael O’Connor, Concordia Stingers quarterback Trenton Miller and McMaster Marauders quarterback Asher Hastings.
O’Connor, native of Orleans, Ontario returned to Canada in January, 2015 to play football for the UBC Thunderbirds. He spent the last few years playing football in the USA, a redshirt freshman at Penn State in 2014. O’Connor threw for 2,383 yards along with 13 touchdowns and led the Thunderbirds to its first Vanier Cup Championship since 1997 in his first year. He has another four years of eligibility in the CIS football to develop and became an excellent quarterback.
Miller, a native of Buffalo, New York, was recruited by the Concordia Stingers in March 2015. Miller previously played NCAA football at Mars Hill College and South Florida. Miller in his first season of playing Canadian football passed for 2,384 yards while tossing 20 touchdowns. He was named Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) MVP after leading the conference in passing and leading the Stingers to a 4-4 record. Miller has two more years of CIS football left. He has the potential to be a star in the CFL, if he decides to go that route.
Lastly, Hastings, a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, led McMaster to a 6-3 record a year ago. He also set the record for most touchdown passes in a CIS season with 31. He also threw for 2586 yards last year. Hastings enters the 2016 CIS football season as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. The youngster has two more years left at McMaster.
It is very possible that a quarterback from CIS ranks will be a starter for a CFL team in near future and the 20 year curse will be broken.
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