Receiver Salgado feels ready to make an impact
Mexican receiver feels he is ready to make an impact in the city he now calls home
Marquay Mcdaniel lets out a little smile when he's asked about Andres Salgado.
Around the country, expectations are generally pretty low for the guys who are selected in the CFL'S Global Draft. That's true for Salgado, too. He didn't have a single catch in his first season with the Calgary Stampeders, so it's understandable if out-oftown football observers aren't exactly predicting that he'll have a huge year in 2021.
As the Stamps' receivers coach, though, Mcdaniel has seen the Mexico City native up close.
“He put in a lot of work this off-season, I can tell you that for sure,” Mcdaniel said. “The guy I saw on film wasn't the same guy I saw when I hit the field with those guys.
“Andres definitely put a lot of work in on the field and also in the weight room. He's looking good, he's a smart guy.”
In some ways, Salgado could wind up being the poster boy for what commissioner Randy Ambrosie was trying to accomplish with his CFL 2.0 initiative, which is attempting to broaden the league's global appeal by bringing in players from countries other than the U.S. and Canada.
Salgado has embraced being a Stampeders player. He now lives in Calgary full time and was part of the group of Stamps receivers that included Kamar Jorden and Hergy Mayala that trained together throughout the long off-season between the 2019 Grey Cup and the start of 2021 training camp.
That doesn't guarantee that he's going to have a breakout season, but there are a couple factors that back up the assertion that Salgado should be ready to contribute.
For one, he knows the playbook in a way he never did in 2019.
Secondly, he's noticeably more muscular than he was two years ago. He said he put on 15 pounds. In the off-season.
Thirdly, he's actually had an off-season to prepare. That sounds basic, but when Salgado arrived at training camp in 2019, he'd played in the LFA — the Mexican pro league — championship only a couple days earlier.
“I was pretty tired,” Salgado admitted. “The football season (in Mexico) starts in February and goes all the way to May. May 12 was the championship and May 15 I was flying to Calgary, and the next day we started training camp and then we had a 19-week regular season with the CFL.
“It was definitely a long year for my body. I ended up pretty healthy. Lots of recovery and taking care of my body and stretching and staying hydrated, but 2020 was definitely a good year to recover.”
The Stampeders certainly understood how hard a situation Salgado found himself in.
“I mean, it was just such a culture shock, too, coming to Canada,” said Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson. “He speaks English quite well, but come on, it was a different level and even the physical play and physicality coming off another season and then we ended up playing 19 games. That was a lot to ask of anybody.”
Salgado got through it, though, and everyone from Mcdaniel to Jorden seems to believe he's ready to make an actual impact this season. The Stamps boast a young, talented group of receivers and Salgado will absolutely need to fight for his spot on the roster and any playing time he hopes for.
“I'm going to compete,” Salgado said. “I'm definitely going to be looking for playing time. I'll be ready if my number is called. I think I've had a good camp so far. I know my assignments, I know what I have to do. I just have to be better in certain details and keep improving as training camp goes forward.”
MAKING IT HOME
Salgado had nothing but good things to say about living in Calgary when he was asked on Sunday.
It's a lot smaller than Mexico City, to be sure, but Salgado now seems to feel at home in Calgary.
Asked about the winter, though, he admitted there were a few tough moments.
“There was one week where it was, like, minus-40 and I was like `What the hell am I doing here?'” Salgado said. “But after a couple weeks being minus-15 or minus-10, it's nothing that a hoodie and a jacket can't protect you from.”
I'm going to compete. I'm definitely going to be looking for playing time.
I'll be ready if my number is called. I think I've had a good camp so far.
NOTES
The Stampeders had a “spirited” practice on Sunday afternoon, although they had to tone down what was originally planned because of the forest fire smoke that's enveloped the city
... Michael O'connor seems to be getting better day by day. All three of the QBS fighting to back up Bo Levi Mitchell made some really nice passes on Sunday, though. From the press box, it sure doesn't feel like anyone has pulled ahead in the competition by much ... The Stampeders have an off-day on Monday, although they need to cut down their roster to 75 players, so there will likely still be some news out of Mcmahon Stadium