Banks drawing early MOP chatter

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This article was published 25/07/2019 (2237 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — Brandon (Speedy) Banks may be one of the CFL’s smallest players, but there’s a strong case to be made for him as the league’s finest pound-for-pound performer.

No one, it seems, gets more done than Banks.

After five games, the 5-7, 150-pound wide receiver leads the CFL in catches (36), receiving yards (506) and touchdowns (six). He’s even starting to get some early consideration for the league’s Most Outstanding Player Award, an honour that has been dominated by quarterbacks. Only three receivers have won the award since 2000.

“I really don’t care about it, I don’t pay it no mind,” Banks said following the Ticats’ Thursday walk-through in preparation for Friday’s battle of division leaders between Winnipeg and Hamilton. “I’m just here to win ball games and get the team through the season. Everything will take care of itself. If we win ball games, I’ve got a good shot at winning it, right? So, you gotta win games.”

Prior to the 2017 season, Banks’ reputation was based almost exclusively on his deadly contributions to the Hamilton return game, but that began to change when then-head coach June Jones took the helm of the club at mid-season.

Jones decided to promote Banks and quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to first-stringers on the offence and the results were magical. Banks became Masoli’s favourite target, racking up 1,011 receiving yards on 67 catches in 2017 and 94 catches for 1,423 yards in only 14 games in 2018.

“I just remember receiving a text telling me I’m gonna be the starting wide receiver and pretty much get my (bleep) together, and so that’s what I did,” Banks recalled with a laugh. “Yeah, it was like Santa Claus without Christmas.”

While his kick-return duties have diminished, Banks has already reeled off two massive return TDs after missed field goals in 2019. But he credits a dedication to the craft of route-running for much of his improvement in the passing game.

“I think I’ve progressed pretty well,” said Banks, 31. “Obviously, I wasn’t that good of a receiver prior to June Jones, so with the experience and more reps I get, I get more comfortable. I feel like I’m just turning into a more complete receiver getting more and more reps.

“The biggest thing was slowing down. Slowing the game down — I was running everything so fast. Watching film, watching older guys, I even watched my favourite guy Santana Moss when we were with the (Washington) Redskins and we communicated a lot.”

Banks’ season hasn’t been without controversy. He was fined by the league for contacting an official during Hamilton’s victory over Calgary earlier this season and responded on Twitter to the punishment by blasting commissioner Randy Ambrosie. He was fined a second time, but remained unrepentant when asked about the incident Thursday afternoon.

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“Nope,” Banks said when asked if he regretted his actions. “I feel the same way. That’s all I want to say about that.”

Masoli believes Banks will be a legitimate Most Outstanding Player candidate.

“He’s learned a lot just from all those live-game reps and experiences,” Masoli said. “He’s fine-tuned a lot of his routes and he’s grown up, acknowledging that kind of stuff. He wants to look for weaknesses in his armour and he wants to attack it. I think that’s one of the difference from a long time ago compared to right now.”

mike.sawatzky@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @sawa14