Off-seasons are a funny thing. A team will sign, draft, and trade for players, never really knowing what they’ll look like the following year. Add to that a year off because of a global pandemic and another question arose often this season; what will that player look like after all the time off?
As the Toronto Argonauts enter their second week at the University of Guelph, several players have had nothing but positive answers to any questions about how they would look in training camp. One of those players is a receiver who has caused people on the sidelines to say two words on a regular basis after catching yet another pass.
“Gittens again.”
Kurleigh Gittens Jr. is entering his second season in Double Blue. Drafted in the third round of the 2019 CFL Draft, he made a rather quiet debut in the league, playing 13 games, starting one, and catching just one pass.
The Guyana-born, Ottawa-raised pass catcher has been playing exceptionally well in camp and is making it tough on the Argos personnel department to keep him off the active roster.
“I feel like I’ve matured over the past two years,” Gittens told Argonauts.ca after Saturday’s practice. “I still feel like a rookie in terms of the playbook, but body wise and being able to see the game a bit better, I feel like I’ve matured in that aspect.”
Real life has helped the 24-year old Laurier product develop off the field as well, which no doubt has carried over to his football career. He and his long-time girlfriend have an 18-month old daughter, and Gittens has spent time in the community, organizing a football camp, and working with Peel Regional Police in their Touchdown Program, working with young offenders.
He’s much more comfortable this year and is starting to resemble the highlight-happy receiver who was a two-time All-Canadian, and four-time OUA All-Star with the Golden Hawks.
“My confidence level is good because I’ve prepared,” he said. “For the past two years I’ve just trained, just preparing for when we got back to playing football.”
Gittens is now learning from his positional coach, Markus Howell, who spent 10 seasons as a CFL receiver and is now in his eleventh year as a coach. He watched video of Gittens for a year-and-a-half before getting to see him play live.
“On film his frame is a little bit slight,” he told Argonauts.ca. “Over the last 18 months you can tell he’s really dedicated his body to the craft and he’s physically developed into a professional football player.”
While Gittens weighs the same as he did entering camp in 2019, he admits he has put on some additional muscle.
Howell, like everyone else at camp, likes what he’s seen from “KG2”.
“The way he changes directions, his short area of quickness,” explained the coach. “He’s able to stick his foot in the ground and flip his hips and do those types of things.”
The most obvious difference that fans will notice, aside from a bigger upper body, is a number change. He’s relinquished the No. 80 he wore last year for No. 19, which he wore spectacularly well at Laurier.
“That brings me a little confidence,” he said, smiling broadly. “There’s just a comfort with it. Like coach says, ‘You dress good, you feel good, you play good.’”
Gittens has certainly looked good in camp and is working exceptionally hard. When he spoke with Argonauts.ca it was following a post-practice session where he was working with the quarterbacks, trying to gain whatever edge he could.
DOUBLE BLUE NEWS
Saturday’s practice was originally supposed to be held at a grass field, about a five-minute walk from Alumni Stadium. After considering the added risk of injuries on a slick surface, the session was moved back to the main facility. The support staff did a remarkable job of tearing things down, moving back to the stadium, and setting everything back up again.
It was by far the loudest, most spirited practice so far. During the team sessions there was much good-natured trash talk between the offensive and defensive groups. The competitive fires have been lit, and that was more apparent today than at any point in camp so far.
During a Zoom media conference after practice, Head Coach Ryan Dinwiddie addressed the transfer of centre Cody Speller to the suspended list.
“I wish I could give you guys some more information, but Cody’s got some personal reasons (why) he’s not here. Hopefully he can get that figured out and be back here with us.”
Speller’s absence has given rookie Peter Nicastro added snaps and he’s taken advantage of the opportunity. Dinwiddie said he didn’t want Philip Blake, who has played centre in the past, to move there from his spot at left guard. He’s also happy they were able to get Nicastro with the seventh-overall pick in this year’s CFL Draft.
“I had him number one on my draft board. In all our mock drafts he never fell to us. He’s going to have some growing pains as any rookie would…but he’s taking those positive steps and we’re going to slowly grow with him. He’s got a bright future.”
Charleston Hughes has already gained the support of everyone wearing Double Blue. On the first live play on Saturday, the defensive end picked up a fumble and sprinted down the sideline to the end zone, much to the delight of everyone on the defence.
Later, Hughes was covering a running back on a short pass and provided blanket coverage, leading to an incompletion. Hughes celebrated on the track between the field and the stands to howls of approval from his defensive teammates.
Llevi Noel had a good day, hauling in a couple of TD passes.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson channelled his inner Ricky Ray on one pass, throwing a perfect fade over a defender and into the arms of Juwan Brescacin for a touchdown.
Seven players made their debut at practice after getting out of quarantine; John White, Chris Edwards, Kony Ealy, Tarvarus McFadden and receivers Craig Rucker and Nyqwan Murray. Rucker and Murray returned some punts in drills, with Rucker particularly showing off his quickness.