With less than one minute and a half left in the fourth quarter, the 2015 East Final was tied 28-28. Redblacks’ quarterback Henry Burris settled a high snap, pulled his arm back and from the Redblacks’ 10-yard line, launched a pass to wide receiver Greg Ellingson.
Ellingson jumped at centre field and drew the ball in before dancing around two Tiger-Cat defenders. He ran down the sideline, raising the ball in the air as he entered the end zone. His game-winning touchdown advanced Ottawa to the Grey Cup final for the first time since 1981.
Although the team fell six points short to the Edmonton Eskimos in the finals, considering the success of their second season in the league (12-6 record) and their Grey Cup appearance, the Redblacks are no longer underdogs going into the 2016 season. Over the past few weeks, the team has been suiting up for training camp, including two practices a short trip down the canal from their home field at TD Place to Carleton University’s MNP Park.
Spirited but friendly competition filled the Ravens stadium on June 1 and 7. Going into this season, head coach Rick Campbell said the team is, “starting at a higher level” on offence, defense and special teams because there is continuity and progression from their first two seasons in the league.
Campbell, the head coach since 2014, said both rookies and veterans have been impressive during the offence versus defense drills.
“The intensity has been good so far and guys are working hard,” he said.
When the players lined up at the ten-yard line to practice red zone scoring, friendly but heated competition between the offence and the defense ensued. The stakes were high: 20 push-ups would be awarded to the losers.
“That’s the whole competitive nature of us being athletes,” said Henry Burris, 41, Redblacks quarterback and the league leader in passing yardage last season.
“[The coaching staff] want to see who is going to compete when things aren’t going well, who is going to lay down and who is going to continue to battle and find a way to over come those obstacles,” Burris said. “That’s what builds a champion.”
Recently acquired Trevor Harris, who formerly played for Toronto Argonauts, was signed as insurance for Burris and to quarterback the team in the future. However, Campbell assured that Burris is the team’s number one quarterback going into the season.
Harris was not the only former Argonaut added to the roster in the off-season. Brendan Gillanders, 25, played two seasons with the team before signing in February 2016 with the Redblacks.
The Carleton field is a fitting location to host the Redblacks’ training camp because it has seen its own football team, the Ravens, return after a 15-year absence and overcome the obstacles of rebuilding a team.
Like the Ravens, Ottawa’s football team has also undergone significant growth since its return after a 8-year absence in the Canadian Football League and, like the Ravens, not only rebuilt a franchise but also challenged its status as the underdog.
Gillanders, an Ottawa native and former University of Ottawa Gee-Gee was not too harsh when speaking about his rival school and commended some of his former coaches on the success they have had with the Ravens.
“Carleton has done great things since coming back into the league,” Gillanders said. “The program is in great hands and what they’ve been able to do the last three years is pretty incredible in terms of building it.”
Going into the season, Gillanders said he hopes that in addition to helping the team’s running game, he will be a positive addition to special teams.
Season ticket holders for two years, father Clarke and his son James Jackson were invited to observe the practice at Carleton. They said they are looking forward to seeing new guys like Gillanders hit the field.
James said he enjoys attending training sessions because he gets to throw the ball around with players and watch some great football, a game he plays himself. During breaks in training, James tossed the ball around with running back Travon Van and ran patterns through the end zone, catching every ball spiraled his way.
Clad in their matching Burris jerseys, Clarke and James said they will be taking their seats for the home opener on July 8 when the Calgary Stampeders are in town. However, the season officially kicks off against the Edmonton Eskimos, a highly anticipated Grey Cup rematch, on June 25 in Edmonton.
“We understand what it took for us to get to this point and now it’s all about us maintaining what we’ve created for ourselves and finishing off what we started,” Burris said.
Preseason began on June 13, when the Redblacks won 18-14 against the Winnipeg Blue
Bombers. It was the first preseason game ever played at TD Place.
Campbell and Burris said the team welcomes the challenge of no longer being underdogs.
“Pressure is a good thing if it is in a healthy way,” Campbell said. “You want expectations, whether that is individually or as a team and we welcome those expectations.”
“We’ve got a lot of great leadership, a great coaching staff, a great fan base and just a great city to make it all happen in,” Burris said on going into the new season. “Now it’s about putting it all together and finishing off what we started.”
[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=”25″]– All photos by Troy Curtis
