Lions QB making first start in six years
Like most who find their way to the Canadian game, Danny O’Brien arrived in the CFL looking for a chance, any chance, to prove he belonged in professional football.
He thought he’d found that chance in Ottawa backing up Henry Burris. Then Burris retired, but Ottawa had Trevor Harris in place to succeed the future hall of famer. Unfazed, O’Brien caught on with Edmonton, where he had a chance to be an understudy with Mike Reilly. The problem there was Reilly didn’t miss a start in two years.
Reilly would sign a huge freeagent deal with the B.C. Lions this off-season, but wouldn’t you know it, Edmonton signed Harris on the same day. In May, the Esks released O’Brien in training camp, but the Lions needed an experienced hand to back up Reilly and with few other options O’Brien signed on.
That was six years after his first season with the Redblacks. In that time, he’s completed 75 passes in 137 attempts while throwing for two touchdowns against nine interceptions.
On Friday night, the now 29-year-old gets the first start of his CFL career when the Lions, who were eliminated from the playoffs last week in Edmonton, meet the Saskatchewan Roughriders at B.C. Place.
Go ahead. You tell O’Brien this game means nothing.
“How about that?” he said. “I’m pretty excited.”
Even if this market doesn’t share his excitement.
“It’s really my chance to show if I can do it or not,” O’Brien continued. “That’s the nature of (being a backup). Really, any quarterback in this league has been through it. You have to seize the opportunity when it comes because you never know when it will come again.”
The Lions, as their supporters are well aware, watched their slender playoff hopes disappear in Edmonton last weekend when they fell 19-6 to the Eskimos. In that game, Reilly fractured his wrist on the Leos’ second offensive series, leaving O’Brien to pick up the pieces in less than ideal circumstances.
The game played out in predictable fashion. O’Brien went 12-for-23 for 103 yards and an interception and failed to sustain any semblance of an offence while the Lions defence kept the game within reach. Earlier this week, Reilly underwent season-ending surgery on his wrist and Lions head coach DeVone Claybrooks immediately named O’Brien his starter against Saskatchewan.
But the vote of confidence wasn’t exactly unconditional. The Lions also signed CFL veteran Brandon Bridge to go with rookie Grant Kraemer, who has spent the season on the practice squad. All three will dress against the Roughriders, which means if O’Brien plans to make a favourable impression, he better do it early.
“I told him don’t go out there and try to be Mike,” Claybrooks said. “Be Danny. Take your throws and trust your weapons. Don’t overcomplicate it. Just do what you need to do.”
“Obviously last week didn’t go the way I wanted it to, but I want to build off that,” O’Brien said. “At the quarterback spot, if I play well, we’re playing well on offence. I’m definitely trying to prove to these coaches that I can be leaned on in the future if something happens.”
O’Brien arrived in Canada after a star-crossed collegiate career that started in promising fashion before it veered off course. In 2010, he won the starting job at Maryland and led the Terrapins to a 9-4 record while throwing 22 touchdown passes. He was named the ACC rookie of the year and earned a spot on the freshman all-American team that season.
Unfortunately, that was the high-water mark of his football career. The Terrapins would change coaches and co-ordinators and O’Brien lost his starting job. He transferred to Wisconsin, where he succeeded Russell Wilson as the Badgers’ starter, but lost that job as well.
The Minneapolis native concluded his collegiate career at tiny Catawba College, a Division II school in North Carolina, before he signed with the Redblacks.
Six years later, he gets his first start as a pro.
“Going through the 1-10 stretch, you knew this team can handle adversity,” he said. “Playoffs, no playoffs, this locker-room is unique that way.”
O’Brien, of course, isn’t the only Lion who’s under the microscope over the final two games of the season. When a team sits at 5-11 and is out of the playoffs with two games left on its schedule, the status quo doesn’t figure to be an option for next season.
The Lions are also in the process of being sold and the new owners will be taking a long, hard look at Claybrooks and general manager Ed Hervey. Throughout the challenges of this difficult season, Claybrooks has said the players are still committed to his vision for the team.
Their performance against the Roughriders on Friday and Calgary next weekend will reveal the extent of their commitment.
“We’ve still got two games left in 2019 and this is a true evaluation of our team,” said Claybrooks. “It will tell us a lot about our character and our drive.”
Claybrooks was asked if he’s coaching for his job over these final two games.
“I don’t look over my shoulder and think about that,” he said. “I’m trying to prepare these guys to play Saskatchewan, then Calgary. We’ll move on to 2020 when 2020 presents itself.”
With or without Claybrooks, next season can’t come soon enough for the Lions.