Is the CFL Screwing Canadian QBs?

[Jayahre]

And no doubt you could name all sorts of CIS all-star or great stat QBs you've seen play who weren't near as good as Buckley and hence that's why they got zero real CFL shot from any of the GOBs running CFL teams? Carry on with your tired cliche ridden excuses on this file - nice job !

So why did Buckley get named as the backup in Calgary? he obviously impressed the coaches. I'm sure there are dozens of examples where a player had better stats or played better in the CIS or NCAA but were cut in training camp. We've seen lower draft picks winning starting jobs and higher draft picks being cut.
I don't know why you are getting so upset over someone's opinion. There is no conspiracy in the CFL to prevent Canadian QBs, the fact is there are dozens of QBs coming out of the NCAA that have more talent, better trained, faster, better coached.
The top Canadian football players are being scouted in high school by the NCAA, Bridge was scouted and then signed by an NCAA school and trained there.
We are seeing NCAA schools scouting Canadian high schools for the cream of the crop.
There is a reason why the last Canadian CIS player to win the CFL MOP was almost 50 years ago.

[jerrym]

But not every CIS QB is pro ready, just like not every NCAA QB is ready for NFL (or even the CFL). Heck, you even have Heismann winning QBs who amount to nothing professionally. All of these records broken in college and some QBs don't get a shot in the NFL. Just because a QB is successful in USports and has thrown for a million yards doesn't automatically make him a CFL QB. Will agree though, that they probably could get an invite to camp before teams assume that. Although, torching York and Waterloo (for example) might not necessarily mean much.

Very few American or Canadian college QBs are "ready' for the NFL or CFL. Most take years of seasoning, even if they become first stringers in the end, before they can handle the job masterfully.

[j-ski]

Knevel is a big QB and seems to have a pretty strong arm; but if you watched Laurier play in the play-offs last season, he was terribly out-classed in QB skills by Laval's Hugo Richard - way more accurate passer and smarter, more poised QB with mobility (and it had zero to do with Laval having the better all-around team - Laurier had a pretty strong defence).

I have to agree that Knevel has a lot of work to do. But who knows, maybe with a lot of work he may progress a lot in the next couple of years.

[OV Argo]

I have to agree that Knevel has a lot of work to do. But who knows, maybe with a lot of work he may progress a lot in the next couple of years.

His brother - David - starting OT at Nebraska - should be near the top of the list of next year's top CFL draft prospects.

Michael hasn't had that much playing time - as Laurier's starting QB - his first year starting was last season (?), so he has one or two more years left ?

[jerrym]

Although I understand why Andrew Buckley took the opportunity to study medicine, I'm sad to see Andrew Buckley retire, as he had established himself as a Canadian backup QB. But Brandon Bridge is still speaking up for Canadian QBs.

With all the big plays he made in 2017, the 26-year-old kept hearing over and over again from his teammates he was sending a powerful message to aspiring quarterbacks in Canada that they can play the position in the CFL. ...

“If I actually failed, then it really closes the door for a lot of younger kids,” said Bridge, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 235 pounds. “My success is definitely really important, and that is definitely what I am going to try and do. I want to leave a legacy.
“For opening up a door and changing and breaking down a barrier and having the younger generation have an opportunity, I think that means way more than having all the accolades in the world.” ...


He discussed the issue with CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie in the off-season.
“Actually, it went well,” said Bridge. “I just told him that we were sending a terrible message to our youth.
“The CFL wants to encourage football development, but we’re not helping our development if we don’t change this ratio and let a quarterback having a Canadian nationality actually have that opportunity to actually play quarterback.” ...


Even with Collaros on the Roughriders roster, Bridge said he has to play as if he is trying to win the starting job.
“Obviously, every day I am going to have to compete no matter what, even if Zach (Collaros) wasn’t here,” said Bridge. “I would just still compete and still put my best foot forward, because there are other guys that definitely want to be the guy.
“We are all fighting for the same job, but we are all going to be supportive and help each other out.” ...


Bridge elected to remain with the Roughriders because of his comfort level with head coach and general manager Chris Jones. The signal-caller believes he has a legitimate chance to prove himself under Jones.

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/25/ri...-canadian-qbs/

[rdavies]

He discussed the issue with CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie in the off-season. “Actually, it went well,” said Bridge. “I just told him that we were sending a terrible message to our youth.

“The CFL wants to encourage football development, but we’re not helping our development if we don’t change this ratio and let a quarterback having a Canadian nationality actually have that opportunity to actually play quarterback.” ...

I have long thought this and am glad somebody has finally voiced it. I call a Canadian QB the Jackie Robinson position in the CFL. And while I applaud Bridge's great efforts, for me, it won't totally come to fruition until we see a USports trained QB leading a CFL team.

[paulwoods13]

I have long thought this and am glad somebody has finally voiced it. I call a Canadian QB the Jackie Robinson position in the CFL. And while I applaud Bridge's great efforts, for me, it won't totally come to fruition until we see a USports trained QB leading a CFL team.

I actually believe that day is coming. Buckley was No. 2 in Calgary and might have ended up starting somewhere had he not retired. O'Connor looks like an outstanding prospect (who IMO might get an NFL shot next year) and there are a few others coming through CIS who could knock that door down. The fact that the NFL is now taking the kinds of QBs who used to have to come to Canada (e.g. Russell Wilson) makes it necessary for CFL teams to widen their search. I really believe that Picton's invitation to camp was not just a PR move. Whether he'll end up as one of the QBs here all year remains to be seen, but I won't be surprised if he does (especially if we trade one of the other guys to Mtl or Wpg).

[rdavies]

I actually believe that day is coming. Buckley was No. 2 in Calgary and might have ended up starting somewhere had he not retired. O'Connor looks like an outstanding prospect (who IMO might get an NFL shot next year) and there are a few others coming through CIS who could knock that door down. The fact that the NFL is now taking the kinds of QBs who used to have to come to Canada (e.g. Russell Wilson) makes it necessary for CFL teams to widen their search. I really believe that Picton's invitation to camp was not just a PR move. Whether he'll end up as one of the QBs here all year remains to be seen, but I won't be surprised if he does (especially if we trade one of the other guys to Mtl or Wpg).

Agree, but like/unlike Buckley, does anyone have the patience to wait it out? And who's going to play the role of Branch Rickey? Not only does the player have to be good enough to make it and survive, but he's going to have to blaze the trail for the next guys. I thought Buckley had the character to be that guy and obviously he had that to choose the future he has but the next guy has to give his life and soul to the game.

I say all this without disrespecting Bridge, (he is doing a great thing) but for full impact (to me) it has to be a USports guy.

[paulwoods13]

Agree, but like/unlike Buckley, does anyone have the patience to wait it out? And who's going to play the role of Branch Rickey? Not only does the player have to be good enough to make it and survive, but he's going to have to blaze the trail for the next guys. I thought Buckley had the character to be that guy and obviously he had that to choose the future he has but the next guy has to give his life and soul to the game.

I don't think a Cdn QB has to give any more of his life and soul than any other QB, or have any more patience. Masoli waited five years to get a chance to start in the CFL; wouldn't a Cdn who wants to play QB be willing to work his way slowly up the depth chart as well? Wouldn't just about any player at any position be willing to do so, for a chance to become a starter in professional football?

[rdavies]

Not if he can make more dough as a cop or firefighter in his hometown. We've seen a lot retirements this year.

[paulwoods13]

Not if he can make more dough as a cop or firefighter in his hometown. We've seen a lot retirements this year.

In that respect, Cdn QBs are no different than players at any other position.

[PullTogether73]

If ever there was a story to support OV's assertion about the bias against USports QBs in the CFL, this has to be it imo...

http://3downnation.com/2018/05/27/da...season-opener/

Some snippets:

The 24-year-old spent parts of two seasons (2016 and 2017) playing receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.

The last time he played in a game as a quarterback was in 2015 at Hampton University. As a senior, Watford passed for 2,088 yards, 21 touchdowns against 14 interceptions and rushed 75 times for 172 yards and three touchdowns. He spent three years at the University of Virginia and transferred to Hampton for his final year of NCAA eligibility.


Where to start???
24 years old and hasn't played QB in 2 years.
I have never heard of Hampton University. (Wikipedia says...Hampton University (HU) is a private historically black university in Hampton, Virginia. Students= 4,646)
Hampton University Pirates play in NCAA Division I Football Championship as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

He played one year at a VERY small FCS (not even FBS) college after getting little playing time in three years at Virginia.
His numbers at Hampton are hardly impressive (2/3 as many interceptions as TDs, 2.29 yards per rush).

So, how does this guy get a chance to START an exhibition game for the Roughriders while NO top tier USports QB gets a chance to attend training camp???

[rdavies]

So, how does this guy get a chance to START an exhibition game for the Roughriders while NO top tier USports QB gets a chance to attend training camp???

I noticed that as well and wondered if the Riders had a USports QB at camp as part of the mentoring program or is BB seen as the token and no need for the Riders to be part of the mentoring program this year.

[rdavies]

If ever there was a story to support OV's assertion about the bias against USports QBs in the CFL, this has to be it imo...

That would be Earl McRae's article "The Odds Against Bill Robinson" Canadian Magazine 1975

[rdavies]

Canadian QB Marc Mueller speaks out against the CFL’s quarterback ratio rule
Andrew Bucholtz 55 Yard Line Apr. 23, 2012

The Canadian quarterback debate is an omnipresent topic in the CFL, but it's particularly notable when those actually involved weigh in. We saw that with Edmonton Eskimos' general manager Eric Tillman's comments in March, and now we're seeing it again with a Canadian quarterback Tillman had in camp last year, Marc Mueller of the Regina Rams (who, in addition to being an excellent CIS pivot, also happens to be the grandson of CFL legend Ron Lancaster). Kent Ridley's excellent 2012 Draft Guide (available as a download here for $5.24 Canadian) features an interview with Mueller about the struggles Canadian quarterbacks have had making CFL teams, and what's particularly notable is that Mueller cites the import ratio rule (which we've covered many times before) as the most important barrier in the way of Canadian QBs. Here's what he had to say on the subject (with some slight edits for grammar):

I believe that the last major step for a Canadian QB to be back in the CFL is to treat us the same as other Canadians. Until quarterbacks count against the ratio, it will be very difficult for teams to take a chance on a 23 year old CIS quarterback over a 27-28 year old NCAA quarterback who just left the NFL. The misconception is that us CIS QBs compete against NCAA QBs for jobs. We don't. We compete with the guy who just got cut from the NFL and has been with the Eagles or Bears for two or three years. For example, Colt Brennan, we compete against a guy like that.

I believe if there was no three-quarterback designation and that if there was just imports and non-imports that there would be more Canadian quarterbacks, not only because of the incentive but that most of the good athletes that play quarterback in high school in Canada wont change positions for a chance at the CFL. (Hey, that wasn't me, I can play one position and that's quarterback *laughs*).

Mueller is right across the board there. Yes, some quarterbacks come to the CFL straight from the NCAA, but most have had at least one NFL look of some description first, or toiled in other leagues like the AFL or the UFL. Meanwhile, Canadian quarterbacks don't really have anywhere to go after college, so they're at a substantial experience disadvantage. (Mueller and Ridley also both point out that NCAA quarterbacks tend to play many more games a year than CIS ones.) Thus, most Canadian QBs switch positions in an attempt to catch on at the CFL level or just give up football entirely. The difficulty of catching on as a Canadian quarterback at the CFL level drives many top athletes away from the position as early as high school, and that doesn't help either.

A simple change to the quarterback rule would go a long way towards alleviating the problem. At the moment, quarterbacks are the only players whose nationalities don't count towards the import ratio: teams must have 20 non-imports (or players who spent much of their early football career in Canada), 19 imports and three quarterbacks on their active roster, but quarterbacks' nationalities don't count, making them almost exclusively American (and meaning that most CFL teams tend to have 22 active Americans and 20 active Canadians). At the moment, the only Canadian QB in the league is Calgary quarterback Brad Sinopoli, although players like Mueller and Kyle Quinlan might have a shot at some point, but the Stampeders receive zero incentive to have a Canadian player there (unlike every other position, where a Canadian starter is a tremendous boon to your roster).

Making quarterback nationalities count would properly reward those teams that try to develop Canadian quarterbacks, and it would make Canadian quarterbacks valuable enough to help overcome their experience deficit against NCAA grads (especially if the roster rule itself was tweaked to mandate even numbers of Canadians and Americans). There have been conversations about changing the rule for some time, but it's quite interesting to see a player like Mueller who's been on the inside of a CFL team speak candidly about how much that simple rule change would boost the chances of catching on in the CFL for both him and other Canadian quarterback prospects. The reality is that the ratio rules are a collectively bargained issue, and the CFLPA has been cited as the entity in favour of keeping them as is. Media coverage and fan protests might help CFLPA leadership to change their minds, sure, but comments from players will likely make a much larger impact. That's why Mueller talking candidly about this matters. Here's hoping that other touted Canadian quarterback prospects follow suit.

[rdavies]

Weekend Extra: History of CFL not kind to homegrown quarterbacks
Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun June 1, 2013

VANCOUVER - The Canadian Football League, bless its soul, offers a reassuring narrative that homegrown players can compete on a level playing field. One has only to look at the sweep of history to know that it is true.

From Lionel Conacher to Joe Krol, from Russ Jackson, Jim Young, Terry Evanshen and Ray Elgaard to Andy Fantuz, Jon Cornish and Andrew Harris, the CFL offers ennobling examples of Canadian players fulfilling their potential once given the chance.

And yet, as one of the rare Canadians to take regular snaps as a quarterback in the CFL, Frank Cosentino still rails against the bleak reality for the second-class citizen that is the Canadian QB.

Cosentino turned 76 on May 22, but the notorious foot-dragging in trusting Canadians at football’s greatest position of responsibility still grates on him. A backup quarterback and sometimes starter in the CFL during the 1960s with the Tiger-Cats, Eskimos and Argos, he retired in 1969, the same year that Russ Jackson, the great star of the Ottawa Rough Riders, thinned the ranks of Canadian quarterbacks by going into teaching full-time.

Five decades later, Cosentino has seen few redemptive examples where the bias against Canadian quarterbacks is changing, save for the All-American wall that was breached temporarily by Gerry Dattilio (Alouettes, Stampeders) and Greg Vavra (Stamps) in the 1980s.

“Hard to believe, but since the 1970 season, a ‘non-import’, i.e. Canadian quarterback, has been a rarity, if not a non-existent part of the Canadian Football League,” Cosentino said, from his home in Eganville, Ont. “‘Non-import’ in this case is short form for ‘not important.’”

Whatever the reason -- and there are various explanations -- the cause of the Canadian quarterback took a step back this week when Hec Crighton Trophy winner Kyle Quinlan decided to pack in a pro career, at its beginning, abandoning the Montreal Alouettes to accept a part-time coaching position at his alma mater, McMaster University.

The more he thought about standing on the sidelines as a third-string QB, a glorified clip holder waiting for a chance that may never come, the less the idea appealed to him, Quinlan told Scott Radley of The Hamilton Spectator. At 24, Quinlan’s dream of playing as a professional quarterback in the CFL is dead.

In Regina, Marc Mueller, grandson of the late Ron Lancaster, a two-CFL most outstanding player, has packed in his pro aspirations and is also turning to coaching with his former college team, the University of Regina Rams. Mueller, also 24, went three-for-three in his only quarterback appearance for the Edmonton Eskimos, in a preseason game two years ago.

In Calgary, Brad Sinopoli, another Hec Crighton Trophy winner, is being converted to a receiver by the Stampeders. He was the team’s third-string quarterback for all 18 regular season games in the 2011 season and served as the Stamps’ holder for place kicks. With four import quarterbacks at this year’s training camp, however, the Stamps are full at the inn. Yet because Sinopoli is a remarkably talented athlete -- much like Quinlan -- the feeling in Cowtown is, why waste it? If he doesn’t fit the mold of what a CFL quarterback should be, let him play somewhere else.

“An American quarterback is allowed to make mistakes and learn from them,” Cosentino explained. “Coaches look at a Canadian kid and think, ‘I don’t want to waste my time.’ But the only way to gain experience at the position is through making mistakes.”

Cosentino points to the example of Anthony Calvillo to prove his point. In his first four CFL seasons, Calvillo threw more interceptions (60) than touchdown passes (57). Yet, due in large part to Calvillo’s college background at Utah State -- an NCAA Division I school -- coaches were more inclined to stick with him. They ended up looking like geniuses. Calvillo morphed into pro football’s all-time leading passer with the Alouettes.

“It’s probably an unintentional bias,” Cosentino said. “Canadian coaches used to say the same thing about American hockey players. They didn’t think they could compete. The American kid had to work twice as hard to show that they could play. Once they were given the opportunity, the thinking changed. They turned out to be every bit as good as Canadian hockey players.”

While Cosentino believes Quinlan was deterred by the CFL’s glass ceiling for Canadian QBs, he does laud the league for its affirmative-action sounding Non-import Quarterback Development Program, now into its second year, as a step in the right direction.

Eight CIS quarterbacks, all undergrads, are being placed in CFL training camps this month to observe and be mentored in a professional environment. One of them is Western Ontario’s Will Finch, who will be in the camp of the Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts.

After getting looks from schools such as Boston College and Virginia Tech, the 6’3”, 218-pound Finch settled on Western, where he could play immediately, rather than be required to go to a pre-college prep school in the States following his graduating high school year in Burlington, Ont. He was an immediate sensation last year in London, throwing four touchdown passes in his first CIS game.

Interestingly, the quarterbacks coach at Western is Jamie Bone, another Hec Crighton Trophy winning QB. He became a lightning rod for the Canadian quarterback controversy in 1980 when was released by the Tiger-Cats and contended he was being discriminated against solely because of his nationality. He was proven correct and won a $10,000 judgment from the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

“Frank Cosentino summed it up best,” said Bone, who later got a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys after his Hamilton experience. “There is an unintentional bias against the Canadian quarterback. When Joe Smith from Alabama makes a mistake, it’s part of his learning experience. When Will Finch from Western makes a mistake, it just reinforces doubts that are already there. But it (the non-import quarterback development program) is a step. They’re limited in what they’ll be able to do, but the exposure will help grow the game in Canada. They’ll get an opportunity to be around the most important players on the football field. And some of the coaches who don’t know the CIS, like Dan Hawkins in Montreal, might see some of these kids and think: “That Canadian kid’s not bad. He’s okay.’”

Though the snubbing of Canadian QBs indicts the CFL establishment more than any other exclusion, Bone does have some understanding of the dilemma faced by the league’s coaches. Their careers are brief, and rarely are they given the luxury and security to develop players over time. What’s more, the Canadian quarterback issue has become such an incessant, emotionally-charged, hot button topic for the Canadian football media that it’s a “headache” for any coach who contemplates going against the grain.

“A Canadian quarterback gets signed, and immediately the media starts asking, ‘When’s he going to play?’” Bone said. “The media are helicopter parents, trying to clear the way for their kid. Even if a kid is signed as a quarterback, he’s still probably four years away from playing or starting. It’s a bit of headache for any coach, so they stay clear of it.”

Kevin McDonald, the league’s VP of football operations, said there’s no overarching goal to put Canadian quarterbacks on CFL fields, although, if the training camp mentorship program contributes to that end, “it would be something fantastic.” A quarterback at Wilfrid Laurier from 1992-96, McDonald accepted that his pro options would be limited upon graduation “but, hopefully, it gives these guys a bit of hunger and an understanding of what it takes to prepare and act like a pro.”

Aware of suggestions that the program could be viewed as window dressing and a simply PR move by the league, McDonald insists that it’s not the case. “Hopefully, the mechanisms are being put in place for somebody to flourish and be successful,” he said.

Bone and Cosentino would like to see the league do more. The former proposes raising the salary cap by $100,000 for an individual team that has a Canadian quarterback on its roster, as a monetary incentive to do so. Cosentino’s proposal: Abolish the “quarterback category” and return to the notion of 20 non-imports, 19 imports, which includes as many quarterbacks as a coach wants, plus three D.Is (designated imports) for special teams.

An extra spot on the practice roster, designated for a developing Canadian QB, is another idea.

Whatever is done to address the paucity of Canadians behind centre, Jordan Yantz hopes it comes soon. Canadian junior player of the year with the Vancouver Island Raiders, he is back at the camp of the B.C. Lions for the second straight year before he leaves to play for the University of Manitoba Bisons this fall. Yantz’s CFL draft year is 2015.

“I started playing quarterback (in Regina) when I was seven years old,” Yantz said. “I’m still chasing that dream. Hopefully, I’ll catch it.”

While the CFL’s history offers small comfort, this aspiring Canadian passer would like to believe that some change is in the air.

The Non-Import Quarterback Development Program

CIS Quarterbacks at CFL camps

B.C. -- Jordan Yantz, Manitoba
Calgary -- Marshall Ferguson, McMaster
Edmonton -- Austin Kennedy, Windsor
Saskatchewan -- Drew Burko, Saskatchewan
Winnipeg -- Ben Rossong, St. Mary’s
Hamilton -- Billy McPhee, Queen’s
Toronto -- Will Finch, Western Ontario
Montreal -- Jermi Doyon-Roch, Sherbrooke

[OV Argo]

Picton going to get some ex. game action for the Argos ?

[ArgoRavi]

Picton going to get some ex. game action for the Argos ?

Sounds like it and Popp sounds excited to see him up against Manziel on the other side. Hec Crighton vs. Heisman.

[jerrym]

Weekend Extra: History of CFL not kind to homegrown quarterbacks
Mike Beamish, Vancouver Sun June 1, 2013

Interestingly, the quarterbacks coach at Western is Jamie Bone, another Hec Crighton Trophy winning QB. He became a lightning rod for the Canadian quarterback controversy in 1980 when was released by the Tiger-Cats and contended he was being discriminated against solely because of his nationality. He was proven correct and won a $10,000 judgment from the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

Here's more on how Jamie Bone was treated by the Tiger Cats, who admitted in court they had decided what would happen to him before TC. However, the Dallas Cowboys thought enough of Bone to give him a tryout, making him in the process the first Canadian university QB to sign a NFL contract.

Bone attended Hamilton's 1979 training camp but was cut. He took the Tiger Cats before a Human Rights tribunal alleging that he had been denied a chance to work because of his nationality. The club admitted that they had made up their mind before training camp who would be the starters. Some won his case and was awarded $10,000. The Tiger Cats were ordered to provide him with a 14-day tryout in 1980. Instead he tried his luck with the Dallas Cowboys and when he was cut, returned to Canada without playing in the CFL.

https://books.google.ca/books?id=hUC...owboys&f=false

[jerrym]

In discussing successful Canadian CFL QBs since the 1960s, a lot of people mention Russ Jackson and Frank Cosentino but leave out Gerry Datilio. After the Als cut him in TC, the Argos signed him but only had him play one game where he saw no action. It says a lot about how the CFL has treated Canadian QBs that the year after he was an Eastern All-Star, winner of the Outstanding Canadian award, and runner-up for Outstanding Player in 1980, the Als signed NFL star Vince Ferragamo and made Datilio a backup and when Ferragamo flopped, Dattilio finished the season as starter, only to be be immediately traded to Saskatchewan.

In 1975, Dattilio was the first territorial exemption of the Montreal Alouettes, but after a time on the injury list he was released in September^[4] and then the next month he signed with the Toronto Argonauts. He played a single game for the Argos and did not record any statistics. The next season, he was released by the Argonauts, rejoined the Alouettes, and served as the third-string quarterback behind Sonny Wade and Joe Barnes. Also as a utility player Dattilio returned punts, but seized the chance at playing more at quarterback in 1978. While he led the team in pass attempts with 142, with 78 completions, that season, he was second in passing yards with 1120. Dattilio also had 9 interceptions and 5 touchdowns. However, in 1979 Barnes was the clear cut starter and with a run heavy offence there was not many opportunities for Dattilio to play. In 1980 that all changed when a struggling Barnes was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders after six games. That season Dattilio became an all star quarterback, throwing for 2892 yards and 19 touchdowns and winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award and was the eastern nominee for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. He threw 5 TDs against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on September 21, 1980. The next season saw Dattilio demoted to back-up in making way for NFL star quarterback Vince Ferragamo. However Ferragamo struggled for most of the 1981 season and Dattilio played enough to tally 1095 aerial yards. Prior to the 1982 season he was traded to the Calgary Stampeders. That year, he threw for 2788 yards, marking the most recent time in which a Canadian quarterback threw for over 2000 in a season. Dattilio completed 194 out of 387 and had only 11 touchdowns to 22 interceptions. 1983 saw him used mostly as a back-up, this time to first year quarterback Bernard Quarles, but got in enough playing time to throw for 1213 yards. In March, 1984, Dattilio was traded back to the Alouettes where he served as a back-up or a third-string quarterback for two seasons.
Among Canadian quarterbacks Dattilio is second all-time in statistics with 9952 passing yards on 697 completions from 1271 attempts with 53 touchdowns to 79 interceptions. He also had 993 rushing yards on 189 carries and added eight more touchdowns.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Dattilio