FORMER TEAMMATE BELIEVES MITCHELL CAN TURN NFL HEADS
Brett Jones has been there, done that and succeeded.
The former Calgary Stampeders centre is one of the few making the seemingly large leap from the CFL into the bright lights of the NFL.
And he thinks Bo Levi Mitchell can do the same.
“Definitely, I think it’s legit,” said Jones of the opportunity being afforded the Stampeders quarterback, with Mitchell reportedly scheduled to have up to a dozen workouts with NFL clubs this off-season. “Any time these teams bring you in and you have the ability, then it’s legit. Bo has the ability to get in there and pass the eye test with these guys.”
One eye test came Wednesday with the Minnesota Vikings, with whom Jones is currently toiling these days.
The impression left by Mitchell was reportedly strong.
Whether it was on the money has yet to be determined.
But there’s plenty to be determined in what will be the Mitchell watch for fans and brass of the Stampeders.
“I think Bo felt he did good,” said Jones of a conversation he had with his former teammate as the two comprised the quarterback-centre battery for the Stamps during the 2013 and 2014 CFL seasons.
“He’s a great player and I’m sure he did great. He’s obviously a very confident guy and a great player, and when he gets in front of these people, he’s going to impress.
“He’s such a smart player and such a confident player that he’s going to be able to wow the scouts whenever he gets in front of them, and he’ll put on a show for them. I definitely think he can play in this league and contribute.”
Jones has done just that for the New York Giants and now the Vikings during the last threeplus NFL campaigns.
Like Mitchell now, the 27-yearold offensive lineman got his chance south of the border as an undrafted NFL rookie coming out of the CFL with two major league awards under this belt. Jones, of Weyburn, Sask., was named the CFL’s top rookie in 2013 and the league’s best offensive lineman in 2014.
Mitchell, of course, just won a second CFL most outstanding player honour and added his second Grey Cup as a starter and the title game’s MVP accolade.
The championship season also saw the 28-year-old quarterback finish 356 for 585 for 5,124 passing yards and 35 touchdowns against 14 interceptions.
“The one thing about the CFL is it always seems to get a hard time. People don’t always think it’s as good a league as some believe,” Jones said. “But there’s a lot of great players that, I think, given the right opportunity and the right circumstances, they can be players in the NFL and be stars.”
Linebacker Jameer Thurman, Mitchell’s Stampeders teammate, was also among the CFL veterans being worked out Wednesday by the Vikings.
“For some players, you just want to be able to say that at the end of the day, ‘I gave it my best chance and these are where the cards fell,’ especially for a guy like Bo, who grew up in Katy, Texas, where NFL is as big a deal as it is,” Jones said.
“That’s how I looked at it. I wanted to get a chance and I just took the opportunity that I had.
“What coaches look forward to (if you’re not a draft pick) is, they want to see a guy who keeps getting better each and every day, a guy who’s a scrapper each and every play. And I think they’re going to get that from Bo — he’s a competitor.
“It definitely comes down to opportunity, and definitely we know he has the ability.
“Definitely, it’s great for him to get finally down here and get in front of these guys, and prove to them what he’s capable of.”