By Donnovan Bennett - Host and Reporter for Sportsnet 360
Follow Donnovan on Twitter: @donnovanbennett
I believe there is no better way to carve out leaders in sport than having them be part of the rank and file of a college team. No other position in sports embodies the qualities of leadership than QB. The quarterback has to not only be able to lead a team made up of various personalities and abilities; he has to astutely follow a predetermined game plan.
Two of the CIS's most intriguing quarterbacks illustrate how great personal characteristics can help a pivot personally lead a football team to greatness.
Simon Nassar is much more than his 62% completion rate and 1549 yards passing in 2013.
An OUA recruiter told me after recruiting Nassar that "he's got the type of character that you'd feel comfortable with him dating your daughter and leading your football team out of the tunnel. He has the type of charisma that everyone in your complex will gravitate towards."
What I love about Simon Nassar's game is the gumption he has to make the throws that he probably has no business making. He reads high to low in his progression - always looking to push the envelope and push the ball down field. Part of that is the fact that in his career he's often been asked to come off the bench and rally a team that is trailing. But a bigger part of it is because as a general rule he tends not to take no for an answer. He dreams big and wants the very best for himself and those around him. He makes a habit of doing things he has no business doing, at least in other people's eyes.
Growing up in an under serviced neighbourhood in Toronto nicknamed "Jungle" because people didn’t tend to make it out, Nassar was never supposed to be a university student never-mind a university athlete. He reminisces fondly about his father teaching him the value of a dollar. "You earn everything you get in life," he recalls hearing. With the lessons of frugality and hard work taken to heart, he admits he'd never dream of being a scholarship athlete plying his trade in a multi-million dollar complex like Varsity stadium. "This isn't a dream come true because it's far above my wildest dreams," Nassar sheepishly reveals as he recounts all of the hard work and sacrifice he's put in.
As a 250 plus pounder in high school, Nassar was an o-lineman. Despite the fact that he was bullied about his weight as a youngster, his sense of self gave him enough confidence to pitch to his coach that he should be playing quarterback after his team's offence struggled. Given the challenge of slimming down and refining his skills, Nassar took the challenge head on and worked dutifully towards his goal. Nassar not only became the powerhouse Metro Wildcats starting QB, he eventually led them to a championship.
His late start at the QB position contributed to him not being as
heavily recruited as he should have been. Despite not being on many
people’s radar, he landed at U of T but had some heavily
recruited QB's in front of him. Even his signing with Toronto was
seen to be an aside to Toronto landing coveted recruit Justin
Babin, his Wildcats receiver. When the more "prototypical QB's"
Toronto played struggled, Nassar was constantly called on to bail
the Blues out of the mess the men above him on the depth chart had
created. It's a dynamic Nassar is used to, both personally and
because he admired his idol - Doug Flutie – doing the same
sort of thing. No longer does he have to play the role of Doug
Flutie to Richard Quittenton's Rob Johnson.
I've said before, in preparation for Varsity Blues broadcasts, that the offence responds when Nassar is in the game. Instead of having him try and kick start the offence to a comeback late, why not have him start the campaign? Well, after biding his time over the last 3 years, he now has that chance as he was named the team's starter coming into fall training camp.
The other players on the offence aren't the only ones that are going to benefit from his newfound position. In the offseason Nassar, in anticipation of being a fixture for the Varsity Blues, reached out to manager of events and sports information Mary Beth Challoner – asking her to help him create "Simon's squad." The initiative will allow players and families of his former Metro Wildcats program to be VIP guests at Varsity Blues home games. For these families – many of whom may not be able to afford tickets - the gift is far more than 3 hours of free football. The hope is access to the field and the locker room post game will serve as a sense of inspiration for the kids who are in the shoes Nassar once wore. Being able to see and touch a success story that came from the same community they did should service notice that they can use academics and athletics to earn themselves a fantastic post-secondary experience. When he fellowships with these kids after games, who better to deliver the message of "bullied to baller" than the man leading the once picked on Varsity Blues?
Mirroring Nassar’s personal transformation the Varsity Blues have gone from doormat to potential contender for the last playoff spot in the OUA this year. No member of Toronto's team has played postseason football and the man nobody wanted may lead them there. Nassar wants to leave a real legacy. Long after people remember if Toronto finished in the top 6 in the OUA in 2014, the Simon's squad participants will remember the opportunity his hard work provided. If just one of them goes on to garner a scholarship, Nassar is partially responsible. The dream is big but yet again, Nassar is using his humble opportunity to lift others up.
Will Finch is much more than his OUA record breaking 3047 yards passing in 2014 and 21 TD passes.
Yet the pursuit of continual records drives the conversation when his name is brought up.
What I love about Will Finch's game is his anticipation and his patience - two skills that are hard to simultaneously perfect, even for a seasoned QB never mind a second year full time starter. A big staple in the Western offence is the deep sideline route, a comeback along the sidelines. If the ball is hung up or poorly placed, a fast breaking defender is going the other way for 6 points. The route takes timing, precision and trust since the ball has to be out of the QB’s hand before the receiver makes his break. It is that same QB to receiver trust that allows Finch to be patient in the pocket. With players all around him Finch’s most impressive characteristic is that he unflinchingly stands tall in the pocket, eyes fixed on his read progression. He never brings his eye level down and stares at the rush, never gets happy feet and alters his throwing mechanics. Standing tall on his tippy toes with great in pocket posture, he allows his receivers every millisecond to get open before he vacates or gets hit. It’s his trust in his skill group that affords him his personal success.
The bar he sets for himself isn't exactly low. Asked what a successful season would be he responds "anything short of a Vanier Cup would be a disappointment. That's my mindset and that's the mindset of the entire team." A repeat Yates Cup victory is not a goal, it's an expectation. As long as Finch is healthy the Mustangs are going to be heavy favourites in every game they play until they potentially face the Can West or RSEQ champion in the Vanier Cup. With that outside expectation, the pressure could be crippling, but not for Finch. He's circled the rivalry Queen's game on his calendar, but it's a means to an end. The only way he'll be happy is if his season ends with a victory.
No use asking a rival OUA scout about Western's starting QB, as all I'd receive is superlatives. Instead I asked a coach on a CFL staff who is heavily involved in the scouting of Canadian talent, what his opinion is of Finch. He was dead pan in his assessment -"There is no question the kid can make CFL throws. Heck, I've seen him make a couple NFL throws. The question is can he make CFL throws consistently and against CFL calibre defenders. Every once and awhile he'll hit a spell where he goes 1/4 or 3/9. At our level that's the difference in winning and losing. But he's got some time to get that straightened out."
It’s often forgotten that Finch has 2-3 years left as a collegiate athlete, 2-3 years of growth, maturation and likely improvement. Finch does have spells where he gets in a rut and yet he still finished 2013 completing 69% of his passes. The prospect that he could still get appreciably better is scary, which is why it's interesting to watch him work up close. It’s impressive to see the way he goes about his business - his attention to detail, his fixation with seeking out new ways to improve his craft. It's a borderline obsession with being the best. The patience he demonstrates in the pocket is not exhibited off the field, yet the anticipation of something much greater and the razor sharp focus on his goals parallels the way he plays to a tee. It's Vanier or bust for Finch in the short term. A CFL career is the succession plan for Finch in the long term.
Two different quarterbacks, two different upbringings, two different stages of their careers, two different short term goals, and probably two vastly different futures ahead. Both, however, the unequivocal leaders of their teams and the players that need to be the most valuable if their teams have any chance to be successful.
Football by its very nature is a quantitative sport. It's 10 yards to make a first down, you get 3 downs to do so, and you are judged on wins and losses - weighed, measured, and tested as soon as you report to camp. However, the qualitative side of the sport is what makes it special. Both young men playing the same position, in the same conference, born in the same province yet have different definitions of personal success. Yet all define personal success based on the level of success by the group.
Despite what happens on the field – they’re both winners in the game of life; however, they lifted weights, ran stairs, and watched film this summer to win on the field because football is their life. They grimaced in the spring so they can smile in the fall. Let the games begin.