WEST KNOWS BEST WHAT CARTER SHOULD EXPECT
Dale West seldom had a rest.
Early in a CFL career that would eventually be appropriately recognized with enshrinement in the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Plaza of Honour, West was conspicuous on both sides of the football — as a receiver and defensive back.
Now, more than a half-century later, the Roughriders are planning to deploy another player — Duron Carter — in comparable fashion.
Providing Roughriders head coach Chris Jones follows through on his stated intention to transform Carter into a twoway player, what will Friday’s game against the host Calgary Stampeders be like for the ultra-athletic No. 89? West should know.
“You certainly knew you were in a game,” says the Reginabased West, who played for the Roughriders from 1962 to 1968. “The best way to describe it is that it was a breathless experience.
“There was an awful lot of running. Most of my pass patterns were long routes and then, as a safety, I had to cover one-third of the field.”
And he loved it.
“I was in my early 20s,” recalls West, who was a record-setting track and field athlete at Saskatoon’s Bedford Road Collegiate. “I ran and ran and ran all the time. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.
“It wasn’t particularly onerous. It was enjoyable. You really felt like you were playing the game.”
Principally a receiver as a rookie in 1962, West caught 13 passes for 306 yards — an average of 23.5 yards per catch — and three touchdowns.
Seeking to further capitalize on West’s athleticism, then-head coach Steve Owen also gave the Cabri-born speedster a few reps on defence.
“When Joe Zuger threw eight touchdown passes and we lost 67-21 to Hamilton in 1962, I was the only defensive back who didn’t give up a touchdown,”
West is quick to point out.
“Mind you, I was only on defence for six or seven plays.”
Owen’s successor, Bob Shaw, made it clear at the outset of the 1963 season that West was going to be playing a lot more defence … while continuing to be part of the offence.
What ensued was a season as outstanding as it was unique.
West set a team record with 10 interceptions, returning them for 226 yards and one touchdown. Ken McEachern tied the mark with 10 picks in 1980. West and McEachern shared the record until Terry Irvin intercepted 11 passes in 1984.
Additionally, West averaged a stratospheric 34.8 yards per catch while scoring on three of his five receptions in 1963.
He would have spent more time on offence, working with a newly acquired quarterback named Ron Lancaster, except for one thing.
“I lost my job to Hugh Campbell,” says West, cueing up his dry wit once again. “That sure came out of nowhere.”
Gluey Hughie arrived in Regina midway through the 1963 season after being released by the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
“You just had to watch him in practice to know how good he was,” West marvels. “We were just in awe.”
Lancaster quickly developed a history-making rapport with Campbell, leading tight end Jim Worden to eventually quip that No. 23’s favourite song was “I Only Have Eyes For Hugh.”
Shaw wasted little time in introducing Campbell to the
CFL, playing him in Saskatchewan’s final seven regular-season games and all five (yes, five) playoff contests in 1963.
Campbell’s arrival turned West into a full-time defensive player, a role in which he thrived.
A three-time Western Conference all-star defensive back,
West was named the West’s most outstanding Canadian in 1963. In 1966, he had an interception in the Roughriders’ first Grey Cup victory.
“The game has changed a lot since then because of how the passing game has taken over,” he says. “Back then, there was a 55:45 ratio, running to passing. Now it’s 75:25 in favour of passing.”
Consequently, there are fewer respites for defensive backs and receivers, who used to be able to catch a breather on running plays.
With that in mind, does West have any friendly advice for Carter?
“Rest as much as you can,”
West says. “Catch your breath and make use of the time you have to rest, such as TV timeouts.”
The entire spectacle should be must-see TV.
Stay tuned for Duron Duron.