Pipkin’s patience pays off for him and for Alouettes
There was a sound the football made when it was released from Antonio Pipkin’s right hand. And as soon as head coach Gary Goff heard it, he knew the fortunes of the Tiffin University Dragons were about to change.
“When he threw a football, you didn’t have to be watching. You could hear the football come out of his hands and it just sounded different. And it got everybody’s attention,” said Goff, who is about to enter his eighth season leading the small Division II school 144 kilometres southwest of Cleveland.
“Early in his career, we knew we had something special. He kind of lived up to that. When I got Pipkin, I knew I had something a little bit different,” Goff added. “He was a big part of changing the culture. We expected to win instead of expecting to lose.”
By now, everyone should be aware of the Pipkin phenomenon. The 23-year-old was expected to make his third consecutive start at quarterback on Friday night for the Alouettes in Ottawa, fresh on the heels of a 303-yard passing performance in Montreal’s victory last week against Toronto.
Time will tell whether Pipkin has the staying power to be a consistent performer, or whether this is his 15 minutes of fame. Especially with Johnny Manziel waiting in the wings.
But long before Pipkin came to the Canadian Football League, before playing in the Senior Bowl and trying out for the Arizona Cardinals, he was a two-sport athlete — basketball and football — who fell into Goff ’s lap.
Pipkin was recruited by Northern Illinois, but wanted to play immediately, so he swallowed his pride and went to the smaller school, where the talent and level of play is considered inferior. It made him the player he is today.
“It humbles you,” he said. “It forces you to work even harder. You go to Division I and play on TV every Saturday. You can have one good year and be (considered) good. But at Division II, you have the competitive drive to stack year after year and be the best. It adds a different type of attitude.”
Goff had a small package for Pipkin as a freshman. But by the third game, the starter was struggling and the coaches decided to make a switch, throwing caution to the wind. In three quarters against Grand Valley, Goff remembers, Pipkin passed for more than 345 yards. The staff knew they had their future and built the offence around him.
By the time Pipkin departed, he broke every school passing record. He appeared in 44 consecutive games, including 41 starts, and guided the Dragons to their first winning season since joining the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2007. He generated 13,147 yards of total offence, including more than 2,200 rushing yards. Over four seasons he threw 88 touchdown passes and scored 25 times. Pipkin’s only the third player in Division II history to pass for more than 10,000 yards and rush for more than 2,000.
While the 6-foot-3, 225-pounder is considered a pure pocket passer with a strong arm, he also moves well for a big man, with the ability to make only one step to get out of any potential mess.
While the best athletes invariably gravitate to the quarterback position, Goff said Pipkin is a good QB who happens to be a natural athlete. The two remain in regular contact, and Goff said he’s not surprised by the success Pipkin has enjoyed.
“He has so much talent, sometimes he doesn’t know what to do with it,” Goff said. “He puts a lot of pressure on himself, in a good way. You want your quarterback to be that way and understand, if he makes mistakes, it’s going to cost the entire team.”
Als general manager Kavis Reed and his assistant, Joe Mack, believed Pipkin’s skills would translate well to the CFL, but the rookie was released in late June before re-signing in early August.
“We won’t say it was a mistake at the time,” Reed said. “We felt we couldn’t go with five quarterbacks and had to make a decision. When (Pipkin) came to the office, we told him to stay ready.”
Even with Manziel lurking in the wings, Goff believes Pipkin has the resiliency to overcome any cards he’s dealt. And, if it comes down to it, Goff hopes another team has taken notice.
“He’s been upbeat every time I’ve talked to him,” Goff said. “He understands it’s a business. He has to put his emotions and feelings off to the side. But he’s also a competitor. I think he’s shown he belongs there.”