Combine tests hopefuls’ versatility.
Quarterback Gilbert-Knorren tries for defensive back at combine
EDMONTON — Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren laughed as he described to a friend how his day went at the Canadian Football League’s regional combine on Monday.
T he E d monton-bred quarterback’s voice jumped up an octave as he relived the reps he took playing defensive back for the first time. “It was all right,” he said to his friend, after the two bro-hugged and exchanged pleasantries. “It is what it is,” he said. What it is, is a situation of circumstance. Gilbert-Knorren has played high school, university and junior football as a quarterback. It’s where his heart is. He relishes the responsibility that comes with leading a team from that position, in carrying the fate of his team in his hands.
But on Monday, he was reading receivers on the opposite side of the field, thinking about pass-knockdowns and interceptions. As much as he’s tried to fight it, Canadian football’s toughest barrier caught up with him. He still took reps at quarterback, but he realizes that if he wants to play beyond the university and junior football level (he left the Saskatchewan Huskies to play for the Langley Rams in the Canadian Junior league) that he won’t do it behind centre.
“I just thought I’d try to market myself, try to play every position, because it’s hard to make it as a Canadian quarterback,” he said. “If you want to play (as a) Canadian quarterback you’ve got to be able to do something else, so I played defensive back. I’d never done it before. It wasn’t bad, it felt good.”
An outstanding athlete at Harry Ainlay High School, Gilbert-Knorren was the Titans’ starting quarterback but was able to plug himself in all over the field. As a senior in 2009, he filled in at running back, played safety and put in time on special teams.
The University of Saskatchewan recruited him as a quarterback, but transitioned him to receiver in 2012. Gilbert-Knorren left the program after that season, determined to play QB. He spent 2013 with the Langley Rams, leading them to a 7-3 record. In September 2013, he told the Langley Times he was determined to play quarterback in the CFL.
“I want to be a quarterback in the CFL, which I know is impossible. But it is my dream,” he told the paper.
“I just didn’t want to give up then,” he said on Monday, at the end of the daylong workouts in front of CFL scouts and GMs.
“I’d left Sask and I thought I could play quarterback in the CIS. I just didn’t think I got a fair chance at that level.
“I didn’t necessarily know if I was going to be good enough for CFL or not. I just want to play in the league, more than anything else. I just want to play football. I’ve been playing this game since I was seven and I don’t want to stop now.”
His athleticism has been his calling card since high school and it’s the first thing that Rob Ralph, the Edmonton Eskimos’ Canadian scout, mentions when Gilbert-Knorren’s name comes up.
“If a kid is stubborn enough that he wants to play quarterback then he’s going to play quarterback and you can’t ask him to move anywhere else,” Ralph said. “But I think if he wants to prolong his football career, he might have to look at another position.
“He’s definitely got a strong arm and he’s got a lot of the tools. We just haven’t seen enough film on him at quarterback.”
Gilbert-Knorren feels Canadian coaches need to develop players better at a younger age at the position for them to have a shot at playing quarterback in the CFL. In the meantime, developing quarterbacks are wise to have a few tricks up their sleeve if they’re eyeing a Grey Cup.
“I think (versatility) is extremely important,” Eskimos general manager Ed Hervey said. “What we’ve talked about, and this is a big topic that we have going into our (coaches) summit, is being able to identify your athletic players. As far as making a position switch, generally that’s up to the coach … recognizing a player’s talent and giving him the sound advice that he’ll need.
“It’s great that you’re playing quarterback, for instance, but you have the athletic ability to change positions to wide receiver or defensive back. I think that should be in the hands of those who are coaching them at the minor levels.”
A player, coach or a GM at these events will inevitably say the day is coming when a Canadian will win a team over and get the quarterback job, but it doesn’t appear close. As Gilbert-Knorren was trying to show he can be that utility player, Calgary Dinos QB Eric Dzwilewski and Regina Rams pivot Cayman Shutter did the same, examples of versatility that are expected.
Marc Mueller, a Regina-bred QB who played for the Rams and suited up for the Eskimos in a pre-season game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2011, was there for his new team, the Calgary Stampeders. The 24-year-old is in his first month on the job as a coach. He’s the Stampeders’ defensive assistant.
Five of the 37 players at Monday’s combine at Commonwealth Stadium were invited to this weekend’s CFLwide combine in Toronto. Wide receiver Tore Corrado (Simon Fraser University), offensive lineman Kyle Patterson (Regina Rams), linebacker Thomas Miles (Manitoba Bisons), defensive linemen Michael Dadzie (Regina Rams) and Dylan Roper(Simon Fraser) made the initial cut. Montreal hosts a regional combine on Wednesday and Toronto hosts one Thursday.