Source: Ben Matchett, Calgary Sports Info / Photo credit David Moll
Name: Mercer Timmis
University: Calgary
Hometown: Burlington, Ont.
High school: Canisius (Buffalo, N.Y.)
Position: Running Back
Academic program: Haskayne School of Business
Year of eligibility: 3
Height: 6-1
Weight: 210
Key stats 2013: Led the nation with 1,157 rushing yards; set Canada West records in rushing TDs (18) and total TDs (19). Averaged 6.9 yards per carry and 144.6 yards per game.
Awards & honours (since start of CIS career): 2013 first-team All-Canadian; 2013 Canada West MVP; 2013-14 University of Calgary male athlete of the year; 2013 Mitchell Bowl MVP, 2013 Hardy Cup MVP
PROFILE
In the span of their six straight Canada West titles, the University of Calgary Dinos have relied on one aspect of the offence most of all: the ground game.
The last four Dinos tailbacks have all reached All-Canadian stature – and the current guy might just be the best of them all.
Following in the footsteps of Anthony Woodson, Matt Walter, and Steven Lumbala – all three of which made it to the Canadian Football League – Mercer Timmis has made a name for himself in just two seasons of CIS football. His record-breaking sophomore season in 2013 saw him lead the nation in rushing and find the end zone more than any other player in conference history over the course of a season.
All that ended with a loss in the Vanier Cup, though, and Timmis used that as motivation in his off-season workouts.
“All I did was watch film and watch that game over and over again,” said the Haskayne School of Business student from Burlington, Ont. “You don’t really need any more motivation than that.”
“He’s a young man who didn’t back down from the challenge of being put into a program behind Steven Lumbala. Right away, that says a lot about him,” said Dinos head coach Blake Nill. “He’s a hardworking kid who plays the game an old-fashioned way, where he understands that his preparation is the key. He’s not going to leave anything to chance, he’s just going to flat-out outwork guys.
“I truly believe he’s the best back in the country.”
Timmis reported to camp in Calgary after a rigorous off-season training program back home in Ontario that saw him put on weight and increase his already-explosive speed, and he will look to lead the Dinos on their quest again in 2014. But, as always, he’s not complacent.
“Of course our goal is to get back to the Vanier Cup, but we can’t look past our conference, which is tough every year,” Timmis said. “We just have to work on finishing as a team and, personally, it’s something I want to succeed in.”
The reigning Canada West MVP and a first-team All-Canadian, Timmis certainly brings plenty to the table for the Dinos offence.
“He gives you breakaway speed, he has good hands, and he has tremendous inside run power – if you don’t wrap him up, he’ll just break the tackle and lean forward for another three yards,” said Nill. “He is the key to our game – you have to start by stopping him, or we’ll just run the ball the entire game. And that tightens up the defence, and that opens up the passing game.”
“I think our team is looking amazing,” Timmis said before the team departed for Quebec City and a non-conference Vanier Cup rematch against Laval. “We have so much depth on defence, our linebackers and DBs are flying around the ball real well. We have a great group of backs, and our offence is going to be really explosive.”
Calgary opens against the Alberta Golden Bears on Friday, Sept. 5 when they host KICKOFF at McMahon Stadium to wrap up the University of Calgary’s Orientation Week. The tailgate in the east parking lot gets going at 3:30 p.m., with the game set to get underway just after 5:30 p.m., live on CanadaWest.tv.