Phone rings… Surla breathes easier

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2011 (5594 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s funny how things come together at times.

One minute you’re watching player after player get drafted ahead of you, feeling completely helpless, wondering when your stock will stop plummeting, and the next moment, you’ve reclaimed hold of your destiny.

That’s the emotional Tilt-a-Whirl Winnipeg Blue Bombers rookie linebacker John Surla was in last month. Surla, a former OUA defensive player of the year, was passed over by all eight teams in the Canadian college player selection process last month, leaving him scratching his head.

“I was definitely disappointed, kind of insulted in a way — embarrassed, too,” the 22-year-old recalled this week at rookie camp, which wrapped up at Canad Inns Stadium Friday morning. “A bunch of my teammates (at Western) were selected — and I was really happy for them — but I wasn’t too thrilled with what was going on. No one wants to be passed over like that.

“But then my agent called me 5-10 minutes after the draft and told me Winnipeg wanted to sign me,” he said. “I started to feel a little better about things.”

It wasn’t the first time Surla spoke to his agent regarding where he was going to play football this summer. They spoke frequently well before the player selection process, discussing how it’s not important to be drafted; it is important to land in the right situation.

Winnipeg had been sniffing around Surla before the draft, knowing that they may be in the market for a non-import linebacker as insurance for their top pick, Henoc Muamba, and a backup long snapper (for veteran Chris Cvetkovic, who missed most of the 2010 season with an injured knee).

At 5-foot-10, 225 pounds, Surla was viewed by some as a classic non-import defensive player before the draft. Could the Niagara Falls, Ont., product compete?

No question. Most football Canucks are typically born with a heart of a lion to make up for any physical shortcoming they’re deemed to have. Surla’s testing numbers at the CFL evaluation camp weren’t great (he registered a 5.04 time in the 40-yard-dash), but some teams still liked what they saw from him on film.

Enter the Bombers.

“He did a tremendous job improving from (evaluation) camp to now,” head coach Paul LaPolice said. “He’s listening… so we’ll continue to work with him. He’s a physical linebacker. He just has to work more on understanding the game.”

In a way, not getting drafted was the best thing that could have happened for Surla.

“The situation seems to be perfect,” Surla said. “It’s up to me now to make or break the deal. I control my own fate. When the draft came and went, I was disappointed but everything happens for a reason, right?

“I guess I’m a believer in that now.”

NOTES: The club cut import WR Bobby Guillory Friday. … Sitting out all or part of the final rookie workout were receivers Greg Betterson, Damian Sherman and Liam Mahoney… The Bombers are encouraging fans to come out and watch the first day of main training camp. Start time is 9:30 a.m., Sunday at Canad Inns Stadium.