He’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning. For S.J. Green, the milestones are coming on a regular basis, and this Saturday he could join elite company.
The receiver is just 95 yards shy of 10,000 for his career, a mark reached previously by just 17 other receivers in the long history of the CFL. That’s not lost on Green, who explained the number one reason – talent aside – why he’s been as productive as he has for so long.
“Honestly, it’s my drive, and my will to not fail,” said a somewhat uncomfortable Green, who would much rather talk about his team than himself. “I always wanted to be a professional football player. I always wanted to play at a high level. I always wanted to be great at what I did. Every time I step on the field, I push myself to try to be that, never settling for mediocrity, I feel that’s pushed me to the point of consistency.”
For the majority of Hall-of-Fame players – which Green is destined to become – the road was relatively easy. A combination of talent and hard work was enough to separate them from their peers. Not so for the man born in Texas but raised in Florida.
He attended the University of South Florida, a school that ran the ball – a lot. Green’s best year with the Bulls was 22 catches in 11 games. In 46 career games at UCF he caught just 62 passes for 864 yards.
It didn’t matter.
A free-agent workout got him noticed by the Montreal Alouettes. He arrived to find a team laden with 1,000-yard receivers like Ben Cahoon, Jamel Richardson, and Kerry Watkins. So, he’d have to wait his turn.
It didn’t matter.
He’d only hit the field for three games in 2007, two more in 2008, and eight in 2009. His developmental years were spent not on the field, but on the practice roster.
It didn’t matter.
Green would continue to push himself, to outwork everyone else, to practice the tougher catches by watching Ben Cahoon use the JUGS machine and adopting the same routine. Essentially, the receiver willed himself to be a better player.
It paid off in 2010 when he became a full-time starter. The next season he’d have the first of his six 1,000-yard seasons.
He knows how important the work in the early part of his career has paid off.
“I was consistent in my approach,” a reflective receiver told Argonauts.ca. “My mindset of wanting to dominate every rep, and win every rep, eventually turned into what it’s turned into.”
That consistency of approach has not been without some tweaks along the way. Bear Woods has been a teammate of Green’s for seven seasons, four in Montreal, three more in Toronto. For the linebacker, it’s the teammate he’s had for a longer period than any other, dating back to his days of youth football.
“The last three years, I would say in ’17, he assumed a vocal role and it’s been great,” said a smiling Woods, who may have written the book on how to be a vocal leader. “He’s always been a guy who, when he speaks, everyone listens, because he doesn’t just speak to speak, he speaks when he feels like he needs to.”
While the vocal part of his role has evolved, the intensity of his game hasn’t. He’s been the ultimate competitor since day one, something appreciated by a linebacker who is respected leaguewide for having that same attribute.
“That’s always been him,” added the man with the ginger dreads. “If you turned on the game in the fourth quarter the other night (against Saskatchewan) you wouldn’t know it wasn’t a playoff game because he’s that hungry every time he gets the ball. That’s what you want to see, and I hope my play is the same way.”
*Note to Woods: It is.
At times, Green leads without knowing he’s doing it. If you’re to watch the team at practice, or more obviously at training camp, you’ll notice that if he takes a drink of water, the other receivers are hydrating right behind him, learning from the master.
That includes a receiver just five yards shy of reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his career.
“First and foremost, he’s a great man,” said Derel Walker of his teammate. “A Hall-of-Famer for sure. He’s had one hell of a career in this league and I’ve been learning so much from him this year, whether it’s football, on the field or off the field. There’s so many things in life I feel I’ve learned from him.”
Such as?
“The flow of the game,” replied Walker, whose locker is just one removed from Green’s. “How he’s a little more patient and he gets a feel for the game and sits in zones. Also, how he attacks the game. I jut try to scope out some of the small things he does.”
That’s the kind of information people would expect to hear about Green, but is there something that fans may not know?
“S.J. is going to talk some trash man,” said a now laughing Walker. “He’s a trash talker for sure. Mostly funny, but he’ll come real direct at certain times.”
It’s now a question of when, not if, Green will reach 10,000 yards. During the season he chooses not to reflect on his career, he leaves that for the off-season. With that said, when asked about what he’ll do with the milestone football, he already has a spot selected.
“It’s going in my mancave at the house,” said Green with a grin. “I’ll put it in a glass box. I have about 17 or 18 balls that I’ve kept over the years.”
The two he points to as having the most significance is the one he caught to hit 100 catches in a season for the first time, and the one he caught to hit the 9,000-yard mark.
Green acknowledges the milestone is noteworthy, which is an understatement. He’s been an elite receiver since the first opportunity he got the chance to play. The 10,000-yard accomplishment just solidifies what everyone who has seen him play already knows.