Declan Cross (38) of the Toronto Argonauts during the game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, MB., on Thursday, July 13, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
There’s an old football axiom that says “When you get to the end zone, act like you’ve been there before.”
Declan Cross didn’t get that memo.
The second-year fullback/tight end scored his first CFL touchdown on Monday night – on his birthday no less – in the Argos 27-24 win over Ottawa. After he caught Ricky Ray’s short pass he enthusiastically sprinted to the back of the end zone, where he proceeded to slip and fall.
A pretty touchdown, the celebration not so much. His teammates and friends noticed.
“All the grief, I took all the grief,” a smiling Cross told Argonauts.ca. “There was definitely more ‘nice celebration’ messages from my friends than ‘nice touchdown’. I think next time I’m going to run through the end zone and just run into the back wall.”
The McMaster product is happy these days and deservedly so. He’s living the dream of not only playing in the CFL but doing so in the company of two people he has the utmost respect for.
“This is amazing, this is so much fun,” beamed Cross. “It’s also fun because I get to play football for Coach Trestman and the staff that he’s put together, and I get to play football with Ricky Ray. That’s something I’m not overlooking. He’s a Hall of Famer and I get to share the field with him. It’s really cool, I’m having a lot of fun.”
Not only is Cross contributing to the offence, but he’s been a huge part of the Argos special teams. He’s a hard hitter, and a devastating blocker, something not lost on Head Coach Marc Trestman.
“This is one of the finest young men on our football team,” said the coach. “He’s got great leadership skills. He is extremely important to what we do special teams wise. He controls our teams with his communications and his intelligence and we couldn’t be happier.”
Trestman was happy to extoll the virtues of the relatively anonymous Argo sophomore.
“When he scores a touchdown he’s getting what he deserves and probably not enough for what he does for our football team,” continued the coach. “He’s just one of our guys that we’re really proud to coach and have on our football team.”
While the Oakville native is becoming more familiar to Argo fans, another GTA product is often playing opposite him when the offence is in double tight-end formation.
The first thing you notice about Jamal Campbell is his size. At 6’7” with 300 pounds on his barrel-chested frame, he’s big even by CFL standards. The York product is now getting some playing time and couldn’t have been happier to see Cross find the end zone, despite the wipeout.
“I think that was a good recovery,” chuckled Campbell. “It was good to see him get that on his birthday. Declan is just the type of guy, the type of teammate you want on your team. He works so hard. So to see him get an opportunity to get that? However he celebrates, it doesn’t matter.”
The pair was separated by just five picks in the 2016 CFL Draft. Campbell was the fifth selection in the third round, Cross the first player chosen in the fourth.
At some point, Campbell – who is incredibly active in the community – would like to start. He feels he’s moving in the right direction.
“I’m working to get better every day,” said Campbell. “But I think the most important thing is just getting the coaching staff’s trust and being consistent in everything I do.”
The big man feels that the mental aspect of his game has improved the most since he broke into the league last year. He’s playing with more confidence and has found a different method of mental preparation, utilizing visualization. The game has slowed down a lot for him, and it’s showing on the field.
Coach Trestman likes what he sees in the lineman, and is as positive about Campbell as a person and a player as he is about Cross.
“Loves football, cares about the game and his teammates very much,” said Trestman. “He’s got to continue to improve and will. He’s a good football player now and he’s got a chance to be a very good player and he’s an awesome young man. He’s a great representative of our community and a great teammate for the guys on this team.”
Declan Cross and Jamal Campbell might not be household names among CFL fans yet, but don’t be surprised if that changes in the not-too-distant future.