If Iceland can qualify for soccer’s World Cup and the United States can win the men’s Olympic curling gold, why can’t we produce a Canadian quarterback?
Perhaps because American coaches don’t give them a chance. It may be an exaggeration to say the hopes of more than Rider Nation were riding on the shoulders of Air Canada — Brandon Bridge — the Saskatchewan quarterback who was starting his second game in green and white last Saturday against his former team, the Montreal Alouettes.
He didn’t last long.
Coach Chris Jones gave him the hook at half-time in favour of American David Watford. And how did Yankee Doodle do? He completed 10 of 22 passes for 108 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions. Bridge was 8-18, 111 yards and two picks. Montreal, by the way, won 23-17. It wasn’t a pretty sight. It seems my anointing the Roughriders as 2018 Grey Cup champions was a tad premature.
Born and raised in Toronto, the 26-year-old, 6-foot-5, 225 pound Bridge played his college ball at South Alabama. Bridge wasn’t selected in the 2015 CFL draft until the fourth round when Montreal made him 31st overall. His first start was Nov. 8, 2015, a 30-24 overtime loss in Regina. He signed with the Riders the following year. Although he came off the bench and won several games last season, he only started one game, a win in Hamilton, Sept. 15.
The greatest Canadian quarterback was Russ Jackson. He was preceded by Don Getty of the Edmonton Eskimos. Both won Grey Cups. The last Canuck to get an opportunity to start for any length of time was Gerry Dattilio, a Quebec native who graduated from the University of Northern Colorado.
Dattilio got a chance to start for Montreal in 1980. He completed 179 of 311 passes for 2,892 yards, 19 TD’s, 20 interceptions. They finished second at 8-8, won the semifinal over Ottawa before losing the final to Hamilton. He was an Eastern Conference all-star, runner-up to Bomber Dieter Brock for most outstanding player and the winner of outstanding Canadian honours. His reward? He was replaced the following year by L.A. Ram Super Bowl quarterback Vince Ferragamo, who went 175-342 for 2,182 yards, seven TD’s, 25 interceptions. The NFL superstar led his team to a 3-13 mark, third place and a semifinal loss to Ottawa.
In 1982, Dattilio was traded to Calgary. Coach Jack Gotta said, “Getting Gerry has been a real plus for us. He has all the attributes you’d want.”
His first start for the Stampeders was a disaster, throwing six interceptions in the season opener in Toronto (a record he shares with Doug Flutie). Jocko went to American Bruce Threadgill who struggled. Back in the lineup, Dattilio was good on 194 of 387 passes for 2,788 yards, 11 TD’s, 22 interceptions. They finished third, 9-6-1 and lost the semifinal to Winnipeg. It was the last time a Canadian quarterback threw for more than 2,000 yards in a season. His reward? Demoted to backing up American Bernard Quarles in 1983. He still threw for 1,213 yards.
Gotta justified Dattilio’s demotion. “It was rise or fall with Gerry Dattilio last year — and he did a pretty damn good job — but we won’t go beyond making the playoffs with Gerry at quarterback.” With Quarles at the helm, the Stamps missed the playoffs and Jocko was fired.
On June 9, 1982, I wrote, “The biggest hurdle Dattilio may have to overcome in leading the Stampeders to the promised land is the notorious lack of faith American football coaches have in Canadian quarterbacks. Despite the successes of the homebrew pivot in Montreal his coaches went to an import at the first opportunity.”
Dave Dickenson wasn’t that way in Calgary. He gave Canadian quarterback Andrew Buckley every opportunity. When Buckley saw he wasn’t going to beat out Bo Levi Mitchell, he opted for medical school.
Our game is becoming more American, not less. In the 1982 Grey Cup, 11 of Edmonton’s 24 starters were Canadians, Toronto, nine. Last year it was down to eight.
At one time, American coaches didn’t think blacks could play quarterback. Now it’s Canadians.
Graham Kelly has covered the CFL for the Medicine Hat News for 46 years. Feedback for this column can be emailed to sports@medicinehatnews.com.
