Small world, eh?
Don Brennan finds surprise Canadian connection in the Chiefs locker room
KANSAS CITY — What are the odds?
That question was asked multiple times in the Kansas City Chiefs locker room on Wednesday and no, it had nothing to do with how Vegas bookmakers see Saturday’s divisional matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
This was more about the extremely unlikely Canadian presence inside those walls, both through the season and on that particular day. First, about me. Hopes of interviewing Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a five-year veteran who was born in Mont-SaintHilaire, Que., and played at McGill University, were once again dashed when he remained on injured reserve for at least one more day.
While chatting with TSN’s Farhan Lalji, who had flown in for the day with his cameraman, I was trying to come up with a Plan B.
“Did you know there’s another Canadian on the team?," asked Farhan.
Really? I had gone over the roster a few times. You’d think I would have noticed.
“Yeah, Ryan Hunter,” said Farhan. “I remember because of the work I did for the CFL draft. An offensive lineman. He’s on the practice roster. He’s from North Bay, Ontario.”
What? I’m from North Bay. Population 50,000.
What are the odds? And, oh, it gets better. Upon meeting and chatting with Hunter, I found out his parents, Ken and Louise, live in West Ferris. So does my mother and sister.
As it turns out, his folks are two blocks from my mom’s house.
“That’s crazy,” siad Hunter. No kidding.
Hunter grew up in North Bay then went to Buffalo for his last two years of high school. By doing so, he figured he’d have a better chance at landing a scholarship from a Division 1 college.
He was right.
“I played at Bowling Green State University for five years,” said the 6-foot-3, 316-pound tackle. “I got to win two conference championships, play in three Bowl games. So it was a
good college career.”
Hunter was projected to be the top pick in the CFL draft, but he signed with the Chiefs. The Toronto Argos made him the last pick of the first round anyway. Just in case.
The minimum full-season salary for players on NFL practice squad is $129,200 US.. The average CFL salary is in the $90,000 (Cdn.) range, or just under $70,000. But money isn’t the motivating factor for Hunter to pursue a NFL career.
Naturally, he’s striving to play in the world’s top league.
“I thought I had a really good training camp, that I had a really good chance to make the team,” said the 23-year old. "I ended up being one of the last guys cut.
"This year, I’ve been doing a really good job of working on technique. Learning from the older guys, getting used to the system. Being in the system for a whole year and then going into the off-season is huge. You understand the playbook. You know how the coaches like to coach. You know what they like to see on film. So you just feel so much more comfortable in your skin, whereas when you’re a rookie, you’re just trying to figure everything out day by day.
“Now that I kind of know how everything works, I feel really good about next year. Coaches and scouts
have been telling me I’ve been doing a really good job. I’ve been playing multiple positions. I’m just trying to be as versatile as possible for next year. "
A piece done two weeks ago by the top football columnist in Canada, Postmedia’s John Kryk, showed that 12 Canadians played in the NFL this season. Seven starters and five backups. Two more were on injured reserve, and one, Hunter, on a practice roster.
Hunter sits two stalls down from Duvernay-Tardif in the Chiefs room.
“There’s a lot more Canadians than I initially thought there was, when I signed with the Chiefs,” said Hunter, whose parents are originally from Quebec. “But I would say two Canadians, especially two French Canadians, is probably a first. It’s pretty cool.”
What are the odds? Hunter lived with Duvernay-Tardif for a couple of weeks, when training camp broke and the Chiefs took them out of their hotel.
“He kind of was like my mentor throughout the summer,” said Hunter. “I was able to go to him with questions, or if I needed anything he was there for me. It was pretty cool to have him here.”
The two playfully get singled out in the Chiefs room
“If we throw
in a little French here and there, they kind of mess with you,” said Hunter. “But they’re pretty good about it. We joke with them about the American stuff, and they joke with us about the Canadian stuff.”
Hunter likes the Chiefs’ chances against the Colts this weekend. He likes his team’s office, very much.
“It’s a lot of fun to watch, for sure,” he said. "You think you can guard one weapon, and then here’s another four. You think you can take away the run, and here’s our phenomenal receiving corps we have.
"(Quarterback) Patrick (Mahomes) is so much fun to watch. The things he can do with a football are incredible. It’s been a pleasure to watch.”
Hunter plans a return to North Bay for a week or two when the season does end, but then he’ll come back to his apartment in Kansas City and prepare for the 2019 season. He is in no hurry to give up on his NFL dream.
“I told myself one thing before I got into it, and now that I’m here, it’s kind of like I want to give myself as many opportunities as I can to make it,” he said. “Being a first-year, undrafted rookie, it’s tough to make the roster, no matter what position here. The fact that I’ve been here all year, on the practice roster, it shows that the coaching staff believes in me. So with a year under my belt next year I think I’ll be able to come in and compete for a spot, definitely.”
I later called my mom to tell
her about meeting Hunter, and where his parents lived. She doesn’t know Ken and Louise, but told me she used to get her hair done at a place on their street.
“I might call them,” she said. What are the odds?