Steve Milton: ‘He has the keys to the Maserati’: First Ticat training camp as Dane Evans’ team
Dane Evans arrived in Hamilton in the fall of 2017 and this is the first time he's entered training camp as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats' uncontested starting quarterback.
So, things aren't the same for him this year, but not for the reason you might assume.
It's different because I stayed up here this off-season, more so than because I'm the quote, unquote guy,'" Evans said as the Ticats sweated through their first full post-strike practice Friday, 17 hours after a brief run-through marked the end of a four-day work stoppage.
I was able to work with (offensive co-ordinator) Tommie Condell all winter so although it's technically Day 2, we've been talking about this stuff since January. I was able to come in to see him a couple of times a week."
Last spring, Evans was beaten out by Jeremiah Masoli for the starting role, although he took the team over later in the year, as he did in 2019. Both years, he was the starting pivot in the Grey Cup.
Last season, everyone know that both quarterbacks were likely to play a lot but this year the offence belongs indisputably to Evans, despite the presence of Matt Shiltz, Jalen Morton and rookie Jamie Newman.
Condell says the biggest change when the No. 1 job is so locked down is that you know what he likes and what he wants to do, so it's more of a package thing. It takes all 12 but it does all start with the quarterback; how he comes into the huddle, comes out of the huddle, knowing how to command. He has the keys to the Maserati, knows what he wants to do and those guys follow."
Even as a backup and third-stringer, Evans always said he was maintaining a starter's mentality, in case he was brought into a game ... which he often was.
All-star receiver Bralon Addison says Evans is not a rah-rah-it's-my-show-or-nobody's guy, he's a team guy and makes sure everybody knows where he's going to be. During those couple of days this week he was being the guy, had us doing stuff as a group, making all the schedules, organizing us all for practices."
Addison is referring to four days of player-run practices after the CFLPA's strike action began Saturday night. Evans, who spent the pandemic-missed 2020 season as a coach at North Texas University and is the son of a career high school coach, was responsible for all aspects of the offensive workouts.
I hope the guys couldn't tell I was pretty stressed," Evans said. My wife (Nikki) and I are about to have a baby at any moment, there was the strike, planning all the practices and then I had to perform in them. It was a lot, but I think a blessing in disguise was that it was a chance to show the young guys, and some guys who didn't know me, that I can lead that way. I'm not the biggest yeller and screamer, but I'm pretty organized and I like to lead by example."
Head coach Orlondo Steinauer stresses that there are battles at every position and that there will be, as usual, lots of mixing and matching of what the team calls A, B and C, units.
Friday, the A - read No. 1 - team on offence usually comprised linemen Brandon Revenberg, Jesse Gibbon, Coulter Woodmansey, Travis Vornkhal and Kyle Saxelid (Chris Van Zeyl is on the temporary injured list), running back Don Jackson and receivers Addison, Steven Dunbar Jr., Lemar Durant, Tim White and David Ungerer III.
There were rotations and substitutions and more will happen as a training camp typically produces some surprises, some emerging starers, and injuries.
But, barring injury, that offence is clearly in the hands of Evans. He has definitely earned it, has the respect of his peers, has helped Condell pick and choose" bits of offensive philosophy from his own college days in Tulsa, from Condell's time with and before Zach Collaros, and from last year's quarterback tandem. They tailored it all to fit the personnel now in camp.
And, he's already coached that offence on his own.
He's from a coaching family," Addison says. He's got structure built right into him."
Notes: Catch of the day went to fourth-round draft pick WR Kiondre Smith out of Guelph, who made a Tony Champion fallaway grab in the end zone ... WR Bralon Addison has changed his number to 0, worn last season by DB Ciante Evans, who wanted No. 7 this year. Addison says he wanted to change partly because he'd been injured twice wearing No. 86 ... WR Steven Dunbar Jr. also wanted a single digit number so switched to Jeremiah Masoli's No. 8 from last year's 82 ... CFL/Ticat legend Andy Fantuz is a guest coach ... The CFL has opened up ticket sales for the postponed induction of the 13 members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame classes of 2020 and 2021. They'll be honoured at Tim Hortons Field Friday June 17, the night before the Ticats' home opener, against Calgary. The class of 2022 goes in on Friday, Sept. 16.
Steve Milton is a Hamilton-based sports columnist at The Spectator. Reach him via email: smilton@thespec.com