ARNDT DRESSES FOR SUCCESS
TORONTO A day before his first CFL start Friday against the Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks quarterback
Will Arndt showed up for his TSN interview at the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel in a stylish suit.
“If his performance matches his outfit, we're going to be in for a big night,” Redblacks coach Rick Campbell said with a laugh late Thursday afternoon.
Joking aside, it's going to be a huge day for Arndt, 26, who spent much of his first two seasons with the Redblacks on the practice roster as the team's fourth-string quarterback. This is his chance to show he can step into a bigger role. The way Arndt is approaching it isn't lost on Campbell, who was the Calgary Stampeders' defensive co-ordinator when CFL all-star Bo Levi Mitchell was a fourth-stringer.
“When I talked to (Arndt) at the beginning of the week and said, ‘Let's get you starter reps, prepare the whole week like you're starting this game,' it didn't phase him, it didn't change his behaviour or his attitude,” Campbell said.
“That bodes well for guys when they don't have to flick a switch on because they're going to be a starter. I wouldn't be surprised if he did well.
“(In Calgary), Bo came in probably knowing he wasn't going to play, but he didn't act that way. The same thing with Will, he's kind of a football junkie. He actually likes watching film and putting in the extra work — not to say he did it, but because he's interested in it. I saw that with Bo.
“Those guys can see the big picture. They know deep down they're not going to start right away, but they're going to have the attitude that they can and they're going to work hard and learn.”
Arndt isn't getting ahead of himself. Just getting a start isn't enough. He wants to have success. The best way to do that is to focus on the preparation, not changing his routine. Friday night, he was planning to talk football with his roommate Jonathon Jennings, a guy who has been there and done that as a CFL quarterback.
“One of the rules of playing quarterback is never too high, never too low,” Arndt said. “My focus right now is playing good football and trying to help my team get a win. I'm not going to celebrate like I've done anything yet. I'm trying to earn the respect of my teammates, coaches and front office and show them I can be a quarterback in this league.”