Willy makes a quick return

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This article was published 16/09/2016 (3306 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Drew Willy still wonders what could have been, had he been afforded a chance to turn around the Blue and Gold after their dismal 1-4 start.

“We started slow this year. Maybe if I stayed in there we could have turned it around, maybe we wouldn’t have,” Willy said.

“The team got going, obviously. Leading the league in turnovers by a wide margin, taking care of the football and special teams not giving up explosive plays, but getting explosive plays and turning field position around. They have everything going right now.”

Shipped to the Toronto Argonauts Sunday for a pair of draft picks and import defensive back T.J. Heath, the 29-year-old quarterback was back in town Friday as he and his teammates prepared to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this afternoon at Investors Group Field.

Still, as he spoke from his familiar perch in the media room at IGF, Willy said he doesn’t feel let down by his former club.

“That’s pro football,” he said “Sometimes that’s how it goes in life. Maybe this was my calling, to get to Toronto somehow and go out there and compete for the Argos and do great things.”

If it’s not Willy’s calling, you’d be hard pressed to convince Argos head coach Scott Milanovich.

Milanovich said there was no price tag too high for an elite quarterback in the CFL when quizzed about cost of acquiring Willy’s services. He noted the same overpaying questions were tabled when the Argos traded for fellow pivot Ricky Ray in the off-season following the 2011 campaign.

“We’re bringing him in for a reason,” Milanovich said of Willy, noting you can’t teach some of the intangibles his new gunslinger possesses. “He’s got great size, a good delivery, accuracy and the ability to stand in the pocket when somebody is closing in on him and deliver a comeback off his left foot.”

The 2012 CFL coach of the year said he’s had his eye on Willy for a long time — longer than most would imagine — and said Willy has yet to reach his potential as a CFL quarterback.

“Guys that like to coach quarterbacks and coach offences, they’re always evaluating the other guys,” Milanovich said. “I was here for his first start (a Blue Bombers’ 45-21 win in Week 1 of 2014) and I watched him tear us up. I like his skill set. I like his demeanour. I like the way he throws the football.

“The fact he didn’t have the success that (the Bombers) wanted him to doesn’t really bother me a bit.”

For Willy, who offered many of the same robotic answers he’s become known for around these parts, said he’s just happy to be an Argo.

“It’s always great to feel wanted,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going out there and competing with them.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

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