TORONTO — UBC kicker Quinn van Gylswyk didn’t attempt a rep on the bench press or run the 40 yard dash at this weekend’s Canadian Football League Combine, but he did a little kicking — as much as you can do in a dome with a low ceiling anyway — and sat down for interviews with several teams, including the Ticats.
“A lot of coming here was to show teams that I’m not a nut job, that I’m a normal person,” van Gylswyk said. “I haven’t been close to many other kickers, but I hear they are pretty odd, like goalies in hockey.”
That van Gylswyk, currently ranked No. 20 by the CFL Scouting Bureau, bothered to show up at all was noteworthy. A number of the highly-touted prospects, including four of the top five on the league’s list, chose to skip the league’s showcase for draft-eligible Canadian talent in lieu of their own private workouts or pro days held by their schools.
The Ticats’ assistant general manager and director of Canadian scouting Drew Allemang said passing on the combine could hurt the draft stock of some players.
“If you’ve seen something on his film that has you worried about his competitive level, it definitely could,” Allemang said. “Sometimes there are parents or agents in kids’ heads and so you understand that it isn’t always the player.”
Pro days or private workouts are controlled predominantly by the player or his representatives, allowing him to pick and choose his drills and testing. There’s rarely a one-on-one component — a highlight of the CFL Combine — that pits player against player.
Players often feel that pro days or private workout are more likely to get them noticed by National Football League teams, but Allemang says that’s not necessarily the case.
“You’d like to see young adults that can make their own decisions, understand where they stand in the NFL and realize that something like this can help them,” Allemang said. “All 32 NFL teams will see film from this combine. Not every NFL team goes to every college pro day.”
Van Gylswyk, as it turns out, is doing both. In addition to showing up at the CFL Combine, he’s holding a private workout for several CFL teams and at least one NFL club later this month back in Vancouver. Still, he seems to have enjoyed his weekend in Toronto, which included an interview with the notoriously tough Toronto Argonauts.
“I got asked quite a few weird questions; but my teammate got asked if he cheated on his girlfriend,” said van Gylswyk, who was born and raised on Vancouver Island. “I don’t have a girlfriend to cheat on.”
At six-foot-four, 200 pounds, van Gylswyk was an All-Canadian last season after connecting on 83 per cent of his field goals and punting for a 43.6 yard average. He was even better in the playoffs, drilling 17 of 19 tries in four games, including the game-winner with no time on the clock to give the Thunderbirds the CIS title.
“I love the pressure of it, I thrive off it. The Vanier Cup winner? That was the greatest experience of my life,” van Gylswyk said. “There was a lot of noise, but I didn’t really hear any of it.”
The Ticats, of course, are in need of a kicker, having allowed Justin Medlock to leave via free agency this winter. They interviewed van Gylswyk this weekend and are expected to bring him in for a private workout at Tim Hortons Field before the May draft.
“It was just a conversation back and forth and we clicked — it was an all-around nice experience,” van Gylswyk said. “They were asking me if I’d be able to kick in a windy place, but I don’t have any problems with it. UBC is right off the water and Victoria is pretty windy, too.”
Allemang said the team has been impressed by what they’ve seen from van Gylswyk, but pointed out the risk in taking kickers high in the draft. Their development isn’t always linear — or guaranteed. And it’s a question whether the Ticats would hand all three kicking jobs to untested rookie.
“I think he has a lot of potential with his size and frame and he has a high ceiling but he needs to get stronger and continue to kick,” Allemang said. “We’ll see. We have a lot of options and we’re going to look at everything to address our need. There’s a lot in the works.”
Meanwhile, van Gylswyk is heading back to Vancouver to continue his training and his part-time job as a bartender. He clearly feels he’s ready for the CFL and, like most kickers, has no shortage of confidence.
“I feel like there’s a few jobs that are open and I feel like I can do a better job than some of the guys that are out there now,” he said. “I’ve always had a big leg — I think I’ve had the same-sized thighs since I was 12.
“I can’t fit into skinny jeans.”
NOTES: The top times in the 40-yard dash were posted by a pair of Burlington products. Queen’s University’s Doug Corby ran a 4.505, while Brett Blasko of Calgary clocked at 4.547. Corby attended Corpus Christi high school while Blasko went to Nelson. … The 40 times were slower than expected and one possible explanation is the CFL’s timing system, which records the splits and finish times digitally, but is started manually. … The turf at the Vanier Stadium dome could also be a factor. … Acadia receiver Brian Jones, who is listed at six-foot-four, 230 pounds, was physically dominant in the one-on-one drills, as was Western defensive lineman Rupert Butcher. … Simon Fraser offensive lineman Michael Couture also looked good on Sunday, as did the three Laval kids: Philippe Gagnon, Jason Lauzon-Seguin and Charles Vaillancourt. … McMaster quarterback Asher Hastings threw for the one-on-one sessions.
