‘COMING OUT ROARING’
Sens prepare for Pens to march
Junior Luke’s not used to hearing the word no — at least not at this level.
But although the Université de Montréal defensive-tackle wasn’t offered a contract by the New York Giants after attending their rookie mini-camp this weekend, he maintains he can play south of the border.
“By the last practice I was having a lot more reps. I felt I could play there. I didn’t feel they were ahead of me,” Luke told the Montreal Gazette by telephone on Sunday. “I didn’t feel other players were better than me, that they have something more than I have. I didn’t feel out of place.
“It’s their decision,” he added. “Of course, I’m a little bit upset.”
The Giants are notorious for annually inviting a plethora of Canadians to their mini-camp — and not signing any of them. It was no different this year, Luke attending with Carabins teammates Frédéric Chagnon, a linebacker, and kicker Félix Ménard-Brière. Linebacker Chris Mulumba, a Canadian who attended the University of Maine, also was in attendance.
Now that the experience is over, the quartet can concentrate on their coming Canadian Football League careers. All four were selected last Sunday in the Canadian college draft. Luke went seventh overall to the British Columbia Lions. Mulumba and Chagnon both were picked in the third round; Mulumba 23rd overall by Edmonton, two choices ahead of Chagnon, who was taken by the Lions. Ménard-Brière went to Winnipeg in the fourth round (34th overall).
“I think it went well for me. The first day I was a little bit nervous. It was something new and I didn’t know what to expect. But then I started to feel comfortable,” said Luke, 6-foot-2 and 286 pounds. “The coaches were pretty good with us. They weren’t trying to give us too many things to understand. Once I knew what I was doing, I was playing fast.
“You learn a lot over two days. They put a lot of emphasis on details ... your footwork, putting your hands in the right place and understanding how to dominate your guy on the line of scrimmage.”
Luke had a productive season for the Carabins. He recorded 13 solo tackles in eight games along with six quarterback sacks, one interception and a fumble recovery. He had two sacks alone in the conference final, against Université de Laval. Luke was then invited to the National Bowl, an NCAA all-star game at Daytona Beach, Fla., in early December where he was named the most valuable lineman.
While it might be viewed as a squandered opportunity, Luke’s Montreal-based agent Sasha Ghavami said pro film speaks for itself. The Giants told Luke he’s athletically talented enough to play fullback on offence and undoubtedly will continue following his progression in the CFL.
“When I talk to my guys I tell them the important thing is to leave a good impression because, even if it doesn’t materialize in a contract now, you’ll leave an impression. You never know down the road how it can play out,” Ghavami said. “I don’t think we have to look at this in a short-term view. It gives them confidence heading into their CFL camps.
“The whole point of all this as an agent, yes, you wish the player gets a contract and gets in the NFL,” added Ghavami, who represents Kansas City Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a McGill graduate. “I’m looking to give him as much experience to help him in his pro career.
“It’s a great experience for a Canadian player. You have to break down barriers. You have to convince a whole bunch of people in an organization to give him a contract. It’s like two worlds. They take that experience. They benefit from that experience.”
Now that Ghavami knows there’s no NFL in Luke’s immediate future, he’ll start negotiating a contract with the Lions. As a late first-round draft pick, Luke can expect to earn approximately $80,000 as a rookie.
Although Luke’s travelling across the country, he should feel comfortable once he arrives at the Lions’ camp. Not only will he be joined by Chagnon, but David Ménard, another former Carabins defensive-tackle, is heading into his fourth season with B.C.
“A lot of people are telling me it’s a good place to be. I’ll see when I get there,” Luke said. “It’s pretty far, but that’s part of the change. I have to go through these types of things to grow and become a better person. It’s a good opportunity for me.”