“I learned early in this business to scout the football player, not the helmet.”
Toronto Argonauts assistant general manager Vince Magri knows far too well that sometimes great players come from non-traditional sources. The latest example of this is Mason Pierce.
The rookie defensive back has seen his professional football development accelerated due to injuries to players like Robertson Daniel and DaShawn Amos.
He’s certainly taken advantage of that situation.
Playing mostly at the difficult position of boundary (short side) halfback, the product of the Division II (DII) Colorado School of Mines has been outstanding. A last-minute interception clinched a win in Saskatchewan two weeks ago, while last week in Ottawa he opened the scoring with a 35-yard pick six. On that play he not only showed his ball skills, but also his ability as a returner, something he excelled at in college.
The 24-year-old is enjoying his time in the CFL, especially with the added playing time.
“I feel good,” Pierce told Argonauts.ca. “I feel a lot more confident than when I stepped in initially. I have a good relationship with the guys around me as well, so that all goes into how we play with the game plan. I kind of started slow, it was a lot at first, but I felt like I was ready.”
He has proven to be prepped for prime time. His ball instincts are obvious, as is physical ability. A Second Team All-American a year ago, Pierce is particularly excited about one aspect of his arsenal that should translate well to the Canadian game.
“In college I was more man (man-to-man defence) every play. I think I’ve really embraced the freedom of being able to read the quarterback and have more of an outlook on the whole field where I can see all receivers and the backfield. I think I’ve excelled at that, and I enjoy doing that more so than just having man eyes all the time.”
Pierce made debut in the Labour Day Classic in Hamilton and spent two games as a backup before getting his first start in Montreal on September 15, the night the Argos clinched the East Division title. He’s started the last seven games, the first six at boundary (short side) half before moving to the field side last week with Robert Priester getting the start on the boundary side.
He’s played well, making 33 tackles and picking off three passes, while adding a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Not bad for a guy who Magri stumbled upon while looking at another Colorado School of Mines prospect.
“We had taken an interest in their quarterback, so I had my brother (Argos Director of Video Jon Magri) track down some Colorado School of Mines film. When you’re evaluating a quarterback, you try not to do it with a flash-in-the-pan game, you want to see consistency and want to track him over multiple weeks.”
The deep dive into QB John Matocha – who was subsequently placed on the Argos negotiation list – allowed them to mine another nugget.
“As I was watching the quarterback, I kept hearing about a DB who kept getting his hands on the football. When we dug a little deeper, you not only saw the ball production, but you also saw his ability to return; he was one of the leading returners in DII football last year. When my brother accumulated all his film you not only saw the ball skills but the movement skills and his willingness to be aggressive and hit, as well as his ability to change direction. When we saw he ran a 4.4 at his pro day we offered him a contract.”
So, the kid from Bulverde, Texas – a stone’s throw north of San Antonio – headed north to Toronto. He’s here with his wife Cora and adapting to life in a city much, much bigger than Bulverde or Denver, Colorado.
“The biggest thing is the noise,” the downtown resident said with a laugh. “I enjoy having everything right here. There’s a lot of good food, I think that’s what we’ve enjoyed the most. But we definitely miss nature and being out in the Rockies.”
His family is now in Colorado and is streaming every Argo game. They even headed north for the 150th anniversary game against Edmonton and are attempting to come to the Eastern Final.
If he plays as well as he has since getting into the starting lineup, the odds are high are that they’ll see Pierce make a big play or two.