McGough trying to get up to speed with Tiger-Cats
A month since he was picked higher than anyone else from Medicine Hat ever in the CFL draft, Connor McGough is hard at work.
It’s a switch from university life, but the Hamilton TigerCats’ training camp has him living in a university dorm (McMaster), practising on a university field and studying like he’s got a full course load.
Only this course load isn’t economics or algebra. It’s a playbook.
“As a student-athlete you have to balance school and playbook, things like that,” said McGough, the fourth selection in the CFL draft May 7. “Here, you’re doing a similar thing but there’s a lot more you need to know about each play, so you’re doing a lot of studying. You have to manage your time properly, which school has taught me to do well.”
McGough, playing defensive end, recorded one tackle in last week’s pre-season game in Ottawa, a 30-29 loss that means exactly nothing given how many rookies played for both teams. He’s not expected to start for Hamilton but he did sign his first pro contract and is already making plans to move in to a house with some teammates.
The most important thing he’s trying to do is learn from the team’s core of veterans and its coaching staff. It turns out the CFL is quite a jump from the university ranks.
“The biggest adjustment was everyone’s the same size or bigger, it’s faster, faster,” said McGough. “It’s a lot faster game, it was amazing, the beginning of it, so surreal.
“I’ve played in front of big crowds before so it was pretty cool.”
Mentioning fellow linemen John Chick, Adrian Tracy and Justin Capicciotti, McGough is doing his best impression of a sponge. He said defensive coordinator Jeff Reinebold is pushing him too — exactly what he wants.
“Obviously there’s a lot of things I’ve got to fix and I know that already, I know I’m not where I need to be nor where I want to be as a football player,” said the Crescent Heights alumnus. “Every single day I have to improve at some aspect of the game.
“There’s some great athletes on this field, I have to earn my stripes. I expect to come here and get better each and every day.”
There’s a bit of time for fun, too. Rookies traditionally have some extra duties, and McGough has already survived one offbeat test from his teammates.
“You do your rookie dues, I had to sing a song earlier in the camp and I think there’s more to come,” he said with a laugh. “It’s all about being part of the team and participating.”
Next up is a home game Friday against Toronto, at Tim Hortons Field — the place where McGough’s last university game took place. His University of Calgary Dinos lost the Vanier Cup, and now he gets to make some new memories there.
But his message is clearly one of improvement, one day at a time.
“I was able to play my game,” he said of the opener in Ottawa. “There’s some parts where it wasn’t the best because of some nerves but overall it was a great experience.
“It’s about getting better for the future.”