Clash of CFL’s top playmakers

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This article was published 24/07/2019 (2238 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If there was an award for the CFL’s most exciting player, it would likely be a two-horse race.

It’s hard to argue there’s anyone more entertaining to watch zig-zag around defenders than Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Lucky Whitehead and Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver Brandon Banks.

When the ball is in their hands, whether it’s on a return or catching a pass, there’s always a threat of them making a game-breaking play.

And on Friday night at Tim Hortons Field, the pair of playmakers will be on the same field for the first time as the Ticats host the undefeated Blue Bombers.

“I know it’s going to be a big emphasis and a lot of noise about it,” Whitehead told the Free Press after Wednesday’s practice on playing against Banks.

“But most of the big thing is we gotta take care of ourselves and do what we do on offence. I’m excited to see him and his game in person. I haven’t watched much film on him, but I’ve seen a few games. He did just follow me on Instagram and I followed him back. It’s going to be fun. For me, like I said, every time I touch the ball I’m trying to score and I’m sure that’s his mindset as well.”

The similarities between the two go beyond their playing style and size — Banks stands at 5-7 and Whitehead is 5-10. They also had comparable experiences in the NFL before they made the trip up north to play in the CFL.

Banks, now 31, signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2010 and spent three years with the team as a returner. But Banks, who averaged 24 yards per kick return and 9.4 yards on punts, wasn’t given many opportunities to show his skills on offence as he finished his NFL career with 11 receptions for 35 yards and 43 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

Whitehead, 27, also spent time in the NFL’s NFC East division, as he suited up for the Dallas Cowboys from 2015-16 after going undrafted out of Florida Atlantic. In 33 kick returns in two seasons, Whitehead averaged 25.6 yards per attempt.

He got a bit more action on offence than Banks did with Washington, but not by much. Whitehead’s NFL totals are nine catches for 64 yards and 189 rushing yards on 20 carries. Banks found the end zone on a 96-yard kick return against the Detroit Lions in 2010, but Whitehead wasn’t able to add an NFL touchdown to his resumé.

“I never got the chance to play offence,” said Whitehead, who has 20 receptions for 267 yards and two touchdowns in his first five CFL games.

“Whether I had someone in front of me, or I just didn’t get schemes as far as figuring out a way to put the ball in my hands. It was mostly jet sweeps (running plays). I was very good at those. Very successful. And then returning, I was a playmaker. But I definitely want to be able to show that I can play offence and now I’m getting that chance to do that.”

Whitehead is making the most out of his chance to play offence so far. However, Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea isn’t quite ready to put Whitehead’s name next to Banks’ just yet.

“Lucky’s new to this league, so it would take a little bit more time before I would want to compare him to Speedy (Banks),” O’Shea said in Tuesday’s media conference call.

“Obviously, the physical attributes are easy to see. Lucky’s fast and he’s got a good feel in terms of making guys miss like Speedy does. Like I said, Speedy B’s been doing it for a while and you’d like Lucky to have a bigger body of work before you start drawing comparisons like that.”

Banks is off to another great start this season, as he’s hauled in 36 passes for 506 yards and three touchdowns. Already in his seventh CFL season, Banks has shown no signs of slowing down — which apparently, is a surprise to Blue Bombers safety Jeff Hecht.

“Surprisingly, as a football fan, I’m surprised he’s had the durability he’s had,” Hecht told the media when asked about the 150-pound Banks.

“He has a very good field awareness. He knows when to get down. He knows when to run out of bounds. I don’t know the guy personally, but he seems like a very high-IQ player that has an approach to the longevity of his position given his stature. So, we got to get shots on him when we can and where we can. And when we can, we have to make sure he doesn’t get too many extra yards running up the sideline.”

Whitehead, despite the impressive numbers, is still getting accustomed to the Canadian game. He said he feels he’s come a long way and bigger things are on the horizon for him. Maybe, as soon as Friday.

“Every time we put in a game plan, I tell myself, ‘Wow, I got, like, three touchdowns coming.’ Every time,” Whitehead said.

“Sometimes (offensive co-ordinator Paul LaPolice) doesn’t call the play and sometimes I’m double teamed. But it helps the offence. We got so many weapons on the board. It’s exciting to be a part of. But I’m definitely picking everything up. Once again, I’m excited for this week. I think I might get three touchdowns.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

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