Lewis ‘a master’ of football knowledge
Accomplished slotback closing in on Cahoon’s receptions total
TORONTO He has done it a yard at a time. Actually, 13.29 yards per catch. That has been Nik Lewis’s average over 14 Canadian Football League seasons. And, as the veteran slotback continues playing, the records continue falling.
Lewis recorded his 1,000th career catch earlier this season. He sits at 1,014 heading into Saturday afternoon’s game against the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field (4 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690), and requires only four catches to surpass Ben Cahoon and move into second place in career receptions.
Once that’s accomplished, the next (and only) man in his way is Geroy Simon, who sits at 1,029. Lewis is sixth in total yards, with 13,483. That puts him a modest 264 yards away from moving past Terry Vaughn — although Simon’s career total of 16,352 will remain safe for years to come.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Nik,” said quarterback Darian Durant, in his first season with the Als. “I’m fairly surprised at his knowledge of the game. Here’s a guy that doesn’t pick up his playbook at all but knows where everyone’s supposed to be. That’s a gift he has.
“Both he and Ben have understood how to get open. It’s not about athletic ability with either one; it’s about knowing football, knowing your opponent and how to get open. He (Lewis) is a master at that, and so was Ben.”
At 5-foot-10 and a robust 240 pounds, Lewis never has possessed blazing speed but can maximize short catches by bulldozing his way through potential tacklers. There have been some, but few, big plays in his career. His longest reception in 2016 was 35 yards; it has been 21 this season. And touchdowns have been somewhat scarce. Only twice in his career has Lewis hit double digits. He has found the end zone once this season, six in total since arriving in Montreal back in 2015. But Durant has enjoyed having the veteran presence of Lewis in the huddle.
“You know when there’s zone coverage, they’re going to be in the right spot,” Durant said. “It’s just easy to get them the ball. They’re always going to be where they’re supposed to be.”
Lewis, who missed two days of practice this week with strep throat and remains on antibiotics, has never made it about himself. With the Als (3-4) still trying to reach the .500 mark, let alone win their first game on the road, he doesn’t want to make it about himself. But he remains grateful for all he has achieved, especially since he was able to recover from a season-ending fractured fibula in 2013.
He has said this season, most likely, is his last, but hasn’t completely ruled out a return in 2018. He turned 35 in June and has had to work hard for everything.
“You get the ball in your hands and have to make it work. I’ve been able to do that for 14 years. That’s the biggest thing, being able to do it consistently over the course of my career,” Lewis said. “When you think about what I do, I want to be known as the greatest for what I do. Other receivers block, but I don’t think they’ve been as involved in the run game, picking up blitzes.
“I want to be known as the greatest Nik Lewis could be. Everybody’s going to be great at something. They’re all great in their own way. My way was a little different.”
The Als suffered numerous injuries to some significant Canadian starters — Keith Shologan, Philippe Gagnon and J.C. Beaulieu — in last Friday’s victory over the Argos. All have been placed on the six-game injured list, now joined by linebacker and special teams member Frédéric Plesius.
Receiver Stephen Adekolu, defensive-end Elie Ngoyi and linebacker Nehemie Kankolongo, all non-imports, are on the 46man roster and could make their Alouettes debuts against Toronto, mostly on special teams. Import Jeremy Lewis, with three years’ experience at Hamilton, replaces Gagnon at left guard, while receiver Samuel Giguère, yet to play due to a hamstring injury, also makes his season debut.
A victory against Toronto would even the Als’ record, put them in control of the weak East Division, and give them the season series against the Argos.
“We’re in control of the division right now. We have to go out and take advantage of it,” Lewis said. “We need to go 4-0 this month. If we can get there, I feel really good about the last couple of months of the season.”
But that task should become significantly more difficult with the return to health of Toronto quarterback Ricky Ray, who missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury, a recurring problem over recent history. He practised all week and didn’t miss a rep.
“With my shoulder, I just got caught in some awkward positions,” Ray explained. “When I first hurt it, my arm was above my head when I landed. This year, I had my arm going up to throw and got hit from the side. If my arm would have been down, it would have been just another hit. With those things, I don’t know what to do.”
Defensive-tackle Alan-Michael Cash, yet one more former Als player on Toronto’s roster, will make his debut Saturday. He suffered a torn meniscus and required arthroscopic surgery last January.
Here’s a guy that doesn’t pick up his playbook at all but knows where everyone’s supposed to be. That’s a gift he has.