WATCH ABOVE: Toronto’s new ‘Big 3′ receivers put through drills.
When the Toronto Argonauts decided to rebuild their offence for this season, the team thought big—very big it turns out.
General Manager Jim Barker brought three receivers, all 6-foot-three or taller, into the mix to for the Argos, creating huge targets for quarterback Trevor Harris. And so far the “big” three—Tori Gurley, Vidal Hazelton, and Kevin Elliott—are making their presence known.
“We’re a big target for the quarterback,” says Gurley, who played college ball for the South Carolina Gamecocks, before embarking on an NFL career that saw him move through a number of teams, including the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills. “As long as you miss high and outside we’re okay. Trevor is doing a great job at quarterback and he has confidence in us and we have confidence in him. It is great going out there knowing how hard he prepares.”
Gurley made his presence known immediately, making seven catches, picking up 188 yards and a touchdown in his first preseason game. In the season opener Gurley and Hazelton both had touchdowns, and Gurley had TDs in each of the following games. Elliott has two touchdowns, including a 53-yard catch in a win over the Edmonton Eskimos at the end of June.
All three are using their size to their benefit on the CFL’s larger field, though Elliott admits it initially caught him off guard.
“It was definitely a lot bigger than I initially thought,” he said, while Hazelton called the CFL, “a totally different game,” from his experience with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
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“I really didn’t know what to expect, but the speed of the game is really intense,” Hazelton added. “And the guys playing here are really hungry, really trying to prove something. I’m thrilled to be playing football again and am trying to execute the best I can.”
Clearly the Argos are benefiting from skills that went underutilized and under-recognized south of the border. Elliott says the three big receivers have chemistry that can’t be underestimated and have clicked with Harris, who stepped in for the injured Ricky Ray. Yes, there have been some challenges for players who had little knowledge of the CFL before coming to Toronto. The receivers are getting used to the bigger field, fewer downs and the waggle. But feel their size will be to their benefit in the CFL.
“We all came to the team with the same mindset and combination of drive and hard work,” says Elliott.
At the same time they are getting adjusted to Canada and its brand of football. None of the them had spent time in the country prior to joining the Argos, but they have thoroughly enjoyed Toronto’s mix of multiculturalism and support for its football team.
Even though people are noticing his quick start, Gurley says his personal results aren’t important—winning is the ultimate stat to his way of thinking. And given the powerful offence the Argos have created, anything less than bringing the Grey Cup back to Toronto will be a disappointment.
“That’s all that matters to us—we’re here to win a championship,” he says. “We want to experience that. It is the ultimate team goal.”
Hazelton agrees: “We are setting the Grey Cup in our sights. People can say we are rookies to the CFL and young, but we want nothing more than to win the Grey Cup.”
In the meantime the Argo receivers are thrilled to be doing what they do best—grabbing Harris’ throws and heading to the end zone.
“We have great chemistry the way this offense is set up,” says Gurley. “Any guy can get his number called and step up. Trevor knows our strengths and we’re going to roll with it till the wheels fall off.”