National Post (National Edition)
Banks right on the money
TIGER-CATS PLAYMAKER A THREAT TO SCORE IN ANY SCENARIO
Brandon Banks, a little guy with big numbers, is leading the Canadian Football League in touchdowns, targets and receptions, receiving yards and fines from the commissioner’s office.
The seven-year Tiger-Cat is a big believer in giving and receiving. He gives his all on the field and turns it into receiving, rushing and return touchdowns, a league-high half dozen in just five games.
He gives his unfiltered opinion on social media, and receives a fine from commissioner Randy Ambrosie.
Yin and yang.
The 31-year-old Banks recently racked up a matched set of disciplinary actions from the league; a fine for contacting an official during the Ticats’ win over Calgary, and another one three days later for responding to that edict with a Twitter blast aimed at Ambrosie.
It was a profane and unprofessional outburst in which Banks demanded a “personal meeting” with the commissioner and let Ambrosie know he was “not letting this one slide by easily.”
Banks soon realized the error of his ways, and in occasionally testy exchanges with fans on Twitter he admitted guilt, expressed remorse and said he would happily pay the fine for violating the league’s social media policy because he was wrong.
However, Banks is not about to change his ways, on the field or on social media. He’s a dogged competitor, he’s outspoken to a fault, and he’ll happily live with the spoils of his physical and mental
efforts and the consequences of his opinions.
He apparently says what he says, when he says it, for a deep-seated reason.
“Probably little man syndrome. That’s probably what it is,” the five-foot-seven, 150-pounder said Tuesday during a phone interview with Postmedia. “I mean, I don’t know. I just don’t take no (crap), right. I ain’t like the rest of everybody else. I do what I want. I feel like how I feel about this. That’s what it is and that’s that.”
It is hard to argue with what he’s doing on the field as the league’s premier double threat. He has already run back two missed field goals for majors, which is a CFL single-season record. He scored a rushing TD and has hauled in three TD passes.
It’s the latter statistic that would rank highest in personal satisfaction. He’s working hardest on becoming a better receiver, after four years of being considered a one-trick pony as a return man.
“I spend more time as a receiver, to be honest. I think I could be a return man in my sleep. That’s pretty much my bread and butter.”
He leads the CFL with 50 targets, 36 catches and 506 yards. He’s tied with Edmonton’s Greg Ellingson and Toronto’s S.J. Green with 11 catches on second down. He has burst out of the gate with enough force to smash his single-season career highs of 94 catches and 1,423 yards set last year.
The reason for the hot start is pretty simple, he said.
“I’ve been out there on the field at the beginning of the season as a receiver, that’s the only thing I can think of. Just getting opportunities. I haven’t changed much. I still work out the same. I just focus on being a better receiver every day and I’m having more opportunity and time at it, so I’m getting more comfortable at the position. I guess that’s what is paying off in a good start.”
Former head coach June Jones was credited with opening up the playbook to feature Banks, and it has paid off early this year for Jones’ successor, coach Orlondo Steinauer.
“With some players, you give them more opportunities and they produce — and some not so much,” Steinauer said. “Brandon is one of those players that’s flourished with more opportunity.”
It happens because of his work ethic. Steinauer said Banks “doesn’t stop practising.”
But you have to work smart, not just hard and forever. To get better at his craft, Banks knew he had to figure out the intricacies of route running.
“I could barely run a route,” he admitted. “You don’t have to run every route at full speed like I always thought in previous years. I think I’m a better route runner now. I just learned how to control my speed. I think that was the knock in previous years, I just did everything full speed. Now I know how to gauge my speed.”
He relied on those jets primarily because he gave away so many pounds and inches.
“Everybody knows I’m not the biggest,” he said. “I’ve had to use my speed as my strength to get into the position I’m in now.”
The little guy is in position for a very big year indeed.