QB’S unflappable temperament attracts Eskimos’ attention
Rookie backup started out fifth on training camp depth chart
Jonathan Crompton is a man of few words when it comes to his place in the Edmonton Eskimos’ pivot pecking order.
After heading into his first Canadian Football League training camp ranked fifth on the Eskimos’ depth chart, the former University of Tennessee standout has gone from working for a place on the practice roster to a spot as Edmonton’s backup quarterback.
“It’s just football,” said Crompton, who wasn’t about to celebrate his achievement as Edmonton prepares for Saturday’s season opener against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Commonwealth Stadium.
“We come out here and everybody competes and works our butts off to make this team better, so I can give credit to the coaches for preparing everybody. I think we’ve done a good job so far and, now, we’ve just got to go out there and prepare for this week.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and the coaches giving me a chance, but like I’ve said, we’re all out working for one goal as a team and that’s what it’s all about.”
That team-first message, which Crompton was sure to reiterate multiple times, may not have been music to the ears of the handful of media members looking for a sound bite from the No. 2 QB, but it’s part of a demeanour head coach Kavis Reed is looking for in his offensive leaders.
“No and that’s the good thing,” Reed said of getting any sort of reaction from Crompton when he learned he had made the team.
“He has that unflappable character that you look for in a quarterback. If it’s raining outside or if it’s sunny outside, his demeanour doesn’t change. That’s critically important at that position because, all too often, the team takes on the quarterback’s temperament and you don’t want someone that’s ebbing and flowing emotionally.
“When he was spoken to about the situation, he had his same demeanour. He’s a very confident individual, but in the right way.”
Still, there is no question that no one inside or outside of the organization could have foreseen this situation when training camp opened in early June, with Matt Nichols and Mike Reilly jockeying for the top spot.
It was only after Nichols tore his anterior cruciate knee ligament in Edmonton’s first pre-season game against Saskatchewan that the door was opened for Crompton, a fifthround draft pick of the San Diego Chargers in 2010.
“Jonathan was No. 5 when he came into training camp and we felt that he had the potential of moving up on the depth chart, but we didn’t know how high he would move up,” said Reed, who also has veteran quarterback Kerry Joseph on the team and rookie Jacory Harris on the practice roster.
Nichols’ injury may have helped Crompton by moving him one rung up the QB ladder, but it was the 25-year-old’s play in practice and the pre-season — where he went a combined nine-for-16 passing for 154 yards with a touchdown and an interception — that pushed the last quarterback Edmonton signed into the No. 2 spot.
“The first pre-season game, he showed what he showed in practice — consistency, a command of the offence, great leadership ability and the ability to throw all the routes,” Reed said. “We saw in practice he was very consistent under pressure situations. He had the best completion percentage under our bonsai, which is our hurry-up offence, and really caught our eyes.”
Now Crompton will be looking to open a few more eyes as every time he gets under centre, it won’t be only an audition for the Green and Gold, but also potentially one for Ottawa. The CFL expansion draft for the newly minted RedBlacks is slated for December and each team is able to protect only one quarterback.
Crompton couldn’t have picked a better year to be No. 2 on a CFL depth chart.
“It’s not about that,” said Crompton. “It’s about the team and especially in football. That’s why it’s the biggest team sport in the world in my opinion, so we’re out there and we’re all about guys playing together and working for one goal.”