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New Eagle Danny Watkins sets down in City of Brotherly Love

thevancouversun — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:16:00 +0000

Mike Beamish reports:
Kelowna native and first-round NFL draft pick Danny Watkins is doing the tour of his new football home, as the offensive lineman visits Philadelphia. The Eagles’ top pick (23rd overall) is in the City of Brotherly Love, and the former West Kelowna firefighter toured Engine 49 Firehouse at 13th and Shunk streets in south Philadelphia with the city’s fire commissioner Lloyd Ayers (see photo).
Watkins has also held his first news conference with his new team. The 26-year-old Watkins was the B.C. Lions’ first pick — fourth overall — in the 2010 Canadian Football League draft, but will most likely never play a game with the orange and black. He is only the fourth Canadian ever to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft, joining Mike Schad (1986), Tony Mandarich (1989) and Tim Biakabutuka (1996).
“Coach Brillo” — Lions head coach Wally Buono — on Twitter: “Congrats to Danny Watkins. We felt he would be a very good pro. His development has been exceptional.”
Here is a transcript of Watkins’ news conference in Philadelphia:
• On what it’s been like since being drafted:
“I mean, I can’t even describe how excited I am. I’m pretty thrilled. It’s been a heckuva few days that’s for sure. It’s been nothing but a great experience being here and it’s an honour and a privilege to be an Eagle.”
• On what it’s like coming in and being able to experience the facilities firsthand:
“I mean, we pulled up and went and met with the coach [Andy Reid] and [QB Michael] Vick was in there. I just got to meet him and I think that just speaks to the character that he is. I spoke with him and I was really excited to meet him. And we were talking and I think we’re ready to get some work done.”
• On whether Vick had anything to say to him:
“We talked about getting some work done.”
• On what kind of work is ahead to make the transition to the NFL because there could be some time before he gets on the practice field:
“I don’t know too much about what’s going to happen in the future, here. All I know is that when the conditions are right and I can come in here I’m going to bring my work boots and hard hat and come in and be working trying to come in and contribute right away and make this team win some games.”
• On his plans to begin training for the season:
“I’m going to go back to Waco [Texas] and just continue training to stay physically in shape and stay in touch with these guys as much as I can, if possible.”
• On whether he was star-struck to a certain extent coming in and meeting some of the players:
“Yeah, I mean, to tell you the truth we weren’t even really planning on going to New York. My draft party was going to consist of sitting around, hanging out with the family, pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. And now I’m sitting here today so I kind of feel like Tom Cruise a little bit [laughing]. But I’m definitely not used to this but like I said before it’s been an honour and a privilege.”
• On how he ended up going to New York since he wasn’t planning on it:
“Well, I grew up at a fire station, and there was an opportunity to go to an FDNY firehouse, and that was definitely really appealing to myself. And I spoke to some of the guys at the firehouse and we all came to the conclusion that it would be something really interesting to do. And the family and myself have never been on the eastern seaboard before so we decided to make the trip down here.”
• On his experience at the firehouse:
“You know, we had the opportunity to go and meet some of the members from the Philadelphia fire department and it was exactly the same in New York. They embraced you with open arms and it was like you knew the guys 10 [or] 20 years. No matter where you go you’re going to be a brother fireman somewhere and being able to travel through the city today and just meet some of the fan base I’m really excited to be here. It’s a beautiful city.”
• On how tough a decision it was for him to switch to football after his coach suggested it:
“It wasn’t a very difficult decision at all. I’ve played team sports all the way growing up through high school. I wasn’t going to be doing anything with fire service when I was going to college at Butte. I’ve always been in a team setting and I needed something to do and I figured I’d give football a try.”
• On how big he was at that point in time:
“I was a lot skinnier. I was about 275 pounds.”
• On what his first organized football practice was like:
“You know, the first game was more interesting than the first practice. It actually wasn’t bad. I came in there and I met with the coaches. They were really good and they kind of took me under their wing. They taught me the schemes and the plays and just the fundamentals and I took it from there.”
• On what happened in that first game:
“There is some of the stuff that you just couldn’t cover in such a short amount of time. I’m sure there were a few times that quarterback was scrambling.”
• On whether he got discouraged early on:
“No, it’s a game. You’re having fun.”
• On how much time there was between the first practice and first game:
“Two weeks.”
• On whether there was a moment in that first game when he wondered what he was doing out there:
“No, I mean I was having a lot of fun with it. I grew up playing hockey and rugby. It’s a team environment so you’re going to be having a good time no matter what you’re doing.”
• On whether he was recruited to play football in high school:
“No, in British Columbia, when I was growing up, you played hockey during the winter months and in the off-season you played rugby. There really wasn’t much of a sports club football team.”
• On whether he was a defenceman in hockey:
“I was a defenceman, and then in the latter half of my career I was the – I don’t know what the word is – [jokingly] the designated goon, I suppose you could say.”
• On what his impression was upon meeting offensive line coach Howard Mudd:
“[He’s] very knowledgeable. I’m really excited to be working with him.”
• On why he thinks he took to football so easily:
“You know, a lot of people have asked me that and I think a lot of it has to do with hockey. Just the fundamentals of skating backwards and the knee bend involved and just the athleticism of rugby.”
• On whether his interest of firefighting started as a kid:
“No, to tell you the truth, it was an excuse to get out of class and go hang out at the fire station. So I figured, ‘Hey, I can’t top this. Skipping out of math class to go hang out at the fire hall.’ I met those guys and I’ll never forget the first day going there. It was a great bunch of guys and I remember I came home that night and told the folks, ‘Listen, I’m going to be a fireman.’ And they said, ‘Okay.’
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l; On how old he was then:
“I was 16. I started the junior program for a year and then it just kind of took off after that.”
• On looking back and thinking “is this really happening?”:
“Yeah, it’s funny. Thursday night was definitely a reality check. I was lying in bed last night and kind of looking back at it all and I’m really glad that I made the decision that I did.”
• On what he did after the NFL draft:
“I hung out with the family, hung out with some of the West Kelowna and FDNY guys. We just hung out and were talking about things to come.”
• On how his age and life experiences will help with the transition to the NFL:
“I’ve been in the real world. This is a business, this is a job. I can approach it like that and hope to do well in it.”
mbeamish@vancouversun.com
On Twitter: Twitter.com/sixbeamers

Lions injury talk with Leos head therapist Bill Reichelt

thevancouversun — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Bill Reichelt, head therapist with the B.C. Lions, talks to Sun football writer Mike Beamish and discusses injuries to players like Jamall Lee, Andrew Harris, J.R. LaRose and others:

http://www.vancouversun.com/videos/4.2/swf/flvPlayer.swf?v=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vancouversun.com%2Fvideos%2Fvar.xml%3Fp%3Dr1PoRyvqN2nccMETi7QJ0JM7NMl9GMKw

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CFL scouting bureau gives a hoot for Owls’ Mitchell

thevancouversun — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:11:00 +0000

The Sun’s Mike Beamish reports:

If Scott Mitchell has a familiar-sounding football name, it’s probably because of Scott Mitchell, a former starting quarterback for the Detroit Lions, and Scott Mitchell, the current president of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
But at Rice University in Texas, everybody knows the Scott Mitchell (left) you’re referring to. The Ottawa native started 38 consecutive games on the offensive line for the Owls after arriving on the Houston campus as a 17-year-old. Now, he’s poised to become the first overall pick in the 2011 CFL Canadian college draft, scheduled for May 8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers have the first pick, followed by Edmonton and B.C.
A pre-season All-Conference USA first teamer before his senior year last fall, Mitchell is rated No. 1 in the latest rankings by the Canadian scouting bureau, ahead of Calgary slotback Anthony Parker, whose father played for the B.C. Lions, and St. Francis Xavier linebacker Henoc Muamba. Muamba’s brother, Cauchy, a defensive back, was drafted by B.C. last year, in the fifth round.
Philip Blake, a centre at Baylor, fell to fourth in the latest rankings. The Toronto native had been rated No. 1 in the previous poll. Blake is returning to school for his senior year which, probably more than anything, accounts for the drop. Mitchell has completed his college eligibility.
“Scott Mitchell came to us as a defensive lineman, and we brought him in late [August],” says Rice assistant coach Darrell Patterson. “We could see his toughness right away. Because of injuries, we switched him to the offensive line and he was starting by the fourth game of his freshman year. He’s done a great job for us.”
Patterson, a Pennsylvania native, played seven seasons in the CFL as a linebacker with Winnipeg and Hamilton and he still uses contacts from his playing days to get a bead on Canadian high school recruits. Many are recommended to him through ex-CFL players or Ron Dias, a high school football scout who searches out Canadian players for the American market. Dias has sent more than 500 players south on athletic scholarships.
“He’s an unsung hero,” Patterson says. “Ron has probably done more for Canadian high school football players than anybody.”
Patterson has worked at Dias’ camps before, and it’s a reason why Rice seems to attract an inordinate number of Canadian players. In addition to Mitchell, DL Christian Covington (Surrey, B.C.), DL Hosam Shahin (Richmond, B.C.), TD Luke Wilson (Windsor, Ont.) and DB Tolu Akinwumi (Brampton, Ont.) also hail from Canada. Patterson includes his son, Michael, as an “honourary Canadian”, since the wide receiver was born in Hamilton, when his dad played there.
Owls safety Paul Porras also has a Canadian connection. His dad, Tom Porras, was a long-time CFL quarterback in the 1980s.
Academically, Rice rates alongside some of the best Ivy League schools, and its learning standards are another attraction for Canadian players, Patterson says.
“Canadian education ranks higher than schools in the United States, and Canadian students never seen to have any social or academic problems when they come here,” he says. “They have family backgrounds of discipline and structure.”
The Owls did lose one outstanding Canadian recruit — DE Arnaud Gascon-Nadon — who decided to return to his hometown of Montreal after a stellar sophomore year at Rice. Gascon-Nadon was a member of the Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or last season.
“Arnaud helped us win 10 games in two seasons, but he got a little homesick,” Patterson says. “I think it’s tougher for French Canadian kids to adapt to the culture here, especially when all their studies are in English. It makes the adjustment that much tougher.”
Here are the latest Canadian scouting bureau rankings:

• 1. Scott Mitchell (OL)
Rice, 6’4″, 295 lbs.

• 2. Anthony Parker (SB)
Calgary, 6’2″, 215 lbs.

• 3. Henoc Muamba (LB)
St. Francis Xavier, 6’0″, 230 lbs.

• 4. Philip Blake (OL)
Baylor, 6’3″, 315 lbs.

• 5. Tyler Holmes (OL)
Tulsa 6’4″, 330 lbs.

• 6. Vaughn Martin (DL)
Western Ontario (San Diego Chargers), 6’4″, 330 lbs.

• 7. Nathan Coehoorn (WR)
Calgary, 6’2″, 220 lbs.

• 8. Hugh O’Neill (P/K)
Alberta, 6’2″, 185 lbs.

• 9. Marco Iannuzzi (WR)
Harvard, 6’1″, 195 lbs.

• 10. Moe Petrus (OL)
Connecticut, 6’2″, 292 lbs.

• 11. Matt O’Donnell (OL)
Queen’s, 6’10″, 329 lbs.

• 12. Junior Turner (DL)
Bishop’s, 6’3″, 230 lbs.

• 13. Anthony Barrette (OL)
Concordia, 6’5″, 320 lbs.

• 14. Matt Walter (RB)
Calgary, 5’10″, 210 lbs.

• 15. Paul Swiston (OL)
Calgary, 6’9″, 342 lbs.