Big fullback favours force over flash
UNSUNG HERO: Come-from-behind win over Roughriders shows Lumbala’s determination to get the job done
Some players might travel home for a few days. Others might head off to exotic locales and soak up the sun on a beach (and get away from the recent rain in Vancouver).
The bye week gives football players a few days off, anyway, in the midst of a season’s chaos.
With his time off, B.C. Lions fullback Rolly Lumbala tied the knot, marrying his fiancée, Jasie, and posting photos and videos of the celebration from his Twitter and Instagram accounts. Hashtag #happilyeverlumbala.
“Go into the bye with a win … now I can really enjoy this week,” Lumbala said Sunday. “I’m excited. There’s going to be some of my teammates out there, sharing my moment.”
Before celebrating the union of two families, Lumbala and the Lions celebrated a come-from-behind win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday to head into the bye week as leaders of the West Division.
Second-year quarterback Jonathon Jennings responded from getting pulled in Week 3 with a lights-out second half versus the Roughriders, passing for 429 yards and three touchdowns.
Lumbala, the nine-year veteran fullback, finished the game with one rush for eight yards and one catch for 11. He figured prominently, however, in one of the defining moments of the game, when the Leos took the lead for good in the fourth quarter at Mosaic Stadium.
He didn’t catch a touchdown pass. He didn’t throw the ball. Instead, he crumpled an oncoming Brandon McDonald to the turf with a block as the Riders defensive back rushed at Jennings. McDonald nearly reached the Lions pivot, too, had it not been for the Lumbala block.
The block allowed Jennings that extra split second to find and throw to a wide-open Shawn Gore, who turned and jogged untouched into the end zone. Busted coverage for the Riders. TD for the Lions. And, eventually, a win for the Leos, too.
“It was a pretty great block. He folded the guy,” Gore said. “He always does his job. That’s a true professional.”
Blocking is largely what Lumbala is called on for, and at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, he’s physically able to handle the challenge. But, and this is hardly a new development, he’ll never be a star in the offence. It’s just the reality of the position.
At 30 years old, he’s never rushed for more than 32 yards in a single season. He had a career-high 125 yards receiving on 14 catches just two years ago.
When it comes to distribution of the football it is a rare occurrence for it to go to Lumbala. That’s not about to change, even if offensive coordinator Khari Jones calls Lumbala’s offensive ability “untapped.”
Lumbala’s value, Jones says, is in his ability to block not only linebackers — players typically the same size — but also effectively block defensive ends and even the bigger guys in the interior of the defensive line. That doesn’t go unnoticed by his teammates, especially when the block allows the quarterback enough time to toss a touchdown.
In the eyes and mind of Jones, Lumbala is almost impossible to replace — even if the position has teetered on the edge of extinction in recent years.
“I think of him as the best fullback in the league,” Jones said. “The fullback position … is one of those jobs that you don’t get a lot of headlines for it. The people that watch football and really know football know how valuable he is.”
Jones still has the confidence to give Lumbala the ball every now and then — he’s been more productive in the passing game, with a career average of 6.7 yards per catch — in part because it can keep opposing defences guessing. But an increase in touches would also cost the Lions a valuable additional blocker.
“It doesn’t always have to be flashy. But just do your job, help the team the best you can,” Lumbala said. “You don’t always get the recognition. But that’s OK.”