With the Argonauts training camp featuring little-to-no contact, the biggest hit of the week could be the team’s new receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield.
Stubblefield, who signed with the team immediately prior to Rookies and QBs camp, has gelled instantly with the team’s group of young receivers, due in large part to his experience as a professional receiver himself.
“He actually played receiver, so he knows the things that we go through,” explained second-year wideout Vidal Hazelton.
Hazleton was echoed by his teammate and good friend Tori Gurley, whose favourite phrase early in training camp has become ‘Coach me, Coach’ as he begins his second year with the club.
“He’s a high-energy guy, he demands a lot out of us and he’s a wide receiver at heart,” said Gurley. “He understands what we go through mentally, physically and emotionally.”
The Argos newest position coach, whose experience has taken him across what seems like the entire NCAA, carries an impressive playing resume with him as well.
A consensus All-American and finalist for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in 2004 while at Purdue University, Stubblefield’s 316 career receptions set a then-NCAA record for lifetime achievement.
The native of Yakima, Washington played professionally for four seasons, spending time with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and St. Louis Rams, and the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats before finding his way to the coaching ranks in 2007.
Stubblefield has shown a knack for coaching at a young age with a history of making his players better. Since entering the coaching game in 2007 at Central Washington, he has produced six all-conference recipients, an All-American, and two NFL Draft picks.
“Taylor’s a smart guy, he played in this league and he played at a high level in their position group, so I think there’s a mutual respect there.” Scott Milanovich
The respect is certainly mutual between the coach and his newest understudies. It took little time for Stubblefield to earn the respect of the Argos receivers, and it took even less for him to realize he was working with a talented group of players.
“Whether it be on a ball down the field, a detailed hook route, or getting in there and blocking, they show a lot of different phases of the receiving game,” said Stubblefield, whose respect for the players stems from their willingness to work on the smallest details of the game.
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“It’s been refreshing,” he explained. “It’s a work in progress and there’s still a lot to do, but they are not afraid of work and that’s what is exciting.”
With Stubblefield at the helm and a year of experience in the league under their belts, this season is shaping up to be a big one for the trio that has become known as the ‘Big Three’ – Hazelton, Gurley and Kevin Elliott – and all of the team’s sophomore receivers, including Diontae Spencer, Phil Bates and Kenny Shaw.
The trio of Hazelton, Gurley and Elliott combined for 178 receptions, 2,236 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns as rookies, but they feel like they’ve only scratched the surface.
“We’re demanding a lot of ourselves,” said Gurley. “We can jumpstart this team and make plays, so we have to continue to execute each day in practice.”
The receivers each strive to improve as individuals, and competition is a constant, but they take a group approach to getting better at practice, riding each other hard but having fun with it. The bond they share is rare, and it’s something that their new coach has never seen despite his travels around the NCAA ranks.
“This is probably one of the first groups I’ve been around where it really does feel like a group, not a bunch of individuals.” Taylor Stubblefield.
“They feed off each other, they encourage one another, they talk to one another, and they call each other out.”
Hazelton attributes the group’s strong bond to their shared struggles and successes in year one of their careers North of the border.
“We went through a lot last year as rookies, so we grew together,” commented Hazelton. “We’ve been through everything together and it’s good to have that kind of brotherhood.”
The growth has been obvious to Milanovich, who has seen a noticeable difference from last year in just two days of practices.
“I think the biggest thing for them is that they know what they’re doing now,” explained Milanovich. “They don’t have to think about every split and every route, they hear the play and they know it.”
Or course, with the added experience comes higher expectations.
“They were good last year as rookies, I expect them to be exceptional this year.”