Lawrence looks to channel Gizmo
Return man studies footage of Williams on YouTube to pick up tips from Hall of Famer
In a testament to his generational talent, Henry (Gizmo) Williams was once again a topic of conversation at Eskimo camp, 17 long years after he retired.
Head coach Jason Maas gave the diminutive dynamo a shout out on Monday during a scrum with the media, wishing aloud that he could find another gamechanger of Williams’ ilk. And Kendial Lawrence, the Eskimo most likely to start the Canadian Football League season as the team’s primary return man, said he has immersed himself in all things Gizmo and is on a mission to be better than the legendary No. 2.
Yeah, you heard that right. “Two days ago I went and looked up all his game stats — weekly stats, monthly stats, yearly stats. I’m trying to set a bar for myself to reach,” Lawrence said on Wednesday. “He set it. It’s awesome what he did and I’d love to follow that.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve done pretty good but I haven’t done what Gizmo’s done. He had what, a 14 or 15-year career and he was awesome. He’s the best. I want to be the best. If you want to be the best, you have to go after the best. I want to try to mimic him and be better than him.”
Lawrence has taken aim, but he did it with the appropriate deference and respect, which is important. Now he’ll have to back it up, which seems improbable.
Nobody in league history scored more return touchdowns than Williams; 26 on punt returns, three on kickoff returns, two more after missed field goals. Nobody has more career return yards either. Those numbers are safe. Most of his single-season marks seem untouchable too, like five punt return TDs. Even his single-game records of two punt-return TDs and 232 punt return yards seem out of reach.
It won’t stop Lawrence from his quest. He has studied Williams’ returns on YouTube and was duly impressed by the lethal combination of speed and cutting ability. But what really stuck out was Williams’ desire to move downfield untouched.
“I just love what he does with the ball in his hands. He don’t want to get touched and he wants to score a touchdown. As a returner that’s what you should want,” said Lawrence. “I want to implement that in my game.”
Lawrence doesn’t have the breakaway speed Williams counted on during his peak years in the early 1990s. Precious few do. But the running back’s trademark low centre of gravity means he’s tough to bring down. And he is clearly motivated to get better as a return man.
That should bode well for the Eskimos, who have moved bodies in and out of the role for years, with varying degrees of success. The bar Williams set so high over a Hall of Fame career obviously had to fall, but it reached an embarrassing low last year.
“It wasn’t probably what we wanted,” admitted Maas, when asked how he’d evaluate the return game. “I can tell you this much: What we asked our guys last year to do was not turn over the ball. (Be) ball security conscious. (Kenzel) Doe, the guy that did it the most last year, didn’t turn over the ball once and that’s what I want in a return game more than anything, no turnovers.
“But obviously if we can find a guy that can be completely dynamic, like a couple other guys in this league are, and the history of the Edmonton Eskimos is known as, with someone like Giz who can take over games, obviously you’re always going into a new year hoping to find a guy like that, that can be lightning in a bottle.
“But if you can’t, the bottom line is to me, the offence needs to have the ball at the end of that possession.”
In 2016, the Eskimos finished dead last in the nine-team CFL with a punt return average of just 8.3 yards, about five less than the top return team. They were eighth overall in kickoff return average at 19.4 yards, again about five yards less than the No. 1 unit.
Yes, ball security is paramount, but those numbers simply have to improve. Lawrence wasn’t about to divulge any personal or team targets, but he’ll have to be better than he was for Saskatchewan and Hamilton last year.
The 26-year-old Texan played in 11 games for the Riders and two for the Ticats. He averaged 9.8 yards per punt return and 19.2 yards on kickoff returns. They were not league-leading numbers by any means, and he was better for the Eskimos in 2014.
He was, however, one of just seven CFL players to score a punt return touchdown last year. And he does share the CFL record for most kickoff return TDs in a season, with two, which he set while an Eskimo.
The man has a fine pedigree and a solid work ethic. But Gizmo was the rarest of breeds, and we may never see anyone quite like him again.
Two days ago I went and looked up all his game stats — weekly stats, monthly stats, yearly stats.
I had some looks down south ... I just found Edmonton would be a good place for me.
Ever since his college days playing at Michigan State, Arjen Colquhoun was a Canadian looking to make it playing football in the United States.
While that dream’s not necessarily finished, the 6-foot, 188-pound native of Windsor, Ont., will have his citizenship working in his favour as he competes for a job with the Edmonton Eskimos.
Signed on the eve of the opening day of training camp, Colquhoun was a welcome addition, considering he was the 17th player selected in the 2016 CFL draft.
The team took a chance on him, especially after drafting fellow futures prospect Tevaun Smith — a wide receiver out of Iowa currently playing with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts — in the first round (eighth overall).
Colquhoun saddled up with the Dallas Cowboys last year, but was waived at the end of August in order for the team to get down to their 75-man roster ahead of the regular season.
“I had some looks down south, went to Dallas and had some looks with some other teams,” said Colquhoun, who had a mini-camp tryout with the Seattle Seahawks just prior to joining the Eskimos.
“I just found Edmonton would be a good place for me. Great coaching staff and I just wanted to be a part of something special.
“Get a uniform and get back out on the field. I got injured last year. Nothing’s worse that getting injured and I didn’t want to sit out another year, so I was just happy that Edmonton was willing to bring me in and have me here.”
While he wouldn’t call it a fallback plan, it helped getting drafted by the Eskimos last May to have a place to go after making his NFL bid. “They actually called me, but I already knew because I was watching the draft,” Colquhoun said. “But I left for a minute and someone was like, ‘You just got drafted to Edmonton.’
“The next day or the following day, they called me and said, ‘Sorry, we didn’t have the right number for you to call you at the time. We drafted you, though. We wanted you, so we’re happy we got you.’
“How I like to look at it, I like to say I had more opportunities than the average American would, and I’m just grateful for the opportunity.”
After all, there’s nothing average about Colquhoun’s abilities.
A standout cornerback with the Spartans, he represents the best of both worlds in the CFL, being a Canadian trained in the U.S.
“It wasn’t anything different from what I did at Michigan State,” he said.
“Coming in there as a Canadian, it’s really odd being the only Canadian (with the Cowboys), but I had my cousin on the team, Tyrone Crawford, he was on Dallas, too.
“So it was good to have some family down there and have someone I can lean on and talk to.”
Colquhoun isn’t without previous ties here in Edmonton, either.
“It’s the same thing here too,” he said.
“Johnny Adams, he went to Michigan State, so it’s cool just to have him here and talk to him and learn from him.
“Believe me, I came here and knew about five guys already. Maybe guys that I haven’t met, but I know on social media, so it’s cool just to finally meet them in person and talk to them.”
He’s now hoping his efforts in training camp lead to more people talking about how the Eskimos are breaking the normal ratio rules by having a Canadian cornerback.
“It really is, because in the Canadian league, there aren’t a lot of Canadian defensive backs that are playing,” Colquhoun said. “They usually want to get either a big defensive lineman while usually all the corners are American. “So I’m just glad I can help.” Even if it’s not at his usual position, considering he’s been slotted deep down the depth chart as the No. 4 safety.
“I’m willing to switch,” he said. “I have no problem playing safety or wherever the team needs help. That’s what I’m here for.”
But first things first. He’s got to earn a roster spot in camp. His ability to close the gap on a receiver who’s got a step on him hasn’t gone unnoticed, so far.
“Obviously, learning our defence is first and foremost, he’s been out here every day doing that and getting better,” Eskimos head coach Jason Maas said.
“What I expect out of all our defensive players is to know the system and make plays.
“I know he came in a bit late as far as missing a meeting,” Maas said of the first official team meeting held the night before training camp, which was the same day Colquhoun signed.
“But I feel he’s picked it up and done those things.”
NEXT UP: The Eskimos practice from 9:20 a.m.-noon at Commonwealth Stadium.