On April 30, while the majority of campus was consumed by the stress of exams, the entire U of T football team had something to get excited about. Alongside coaches and staff, the team crowded the Blue and White Room of Varsity Arena to cheer on their co-captain, wide receiver, and top CFL prospect Mark Stinson. Stinson and his team watched the CFL Draft, hoping to see the Blues star player get drafted.
“It was pretty awesome. I was surrounded by a lot of great people and we had a lot of fun with it. Guys were making a pool of when I would get drafted, what team I would get drafted to,” said Stinson of the event. Unfortunately there was no clear winner in the pool, as Stinson was ultimately not drafted to a team. However, the guys did get to see their star player’s name flash across the screen mid-draft. TSN named Stinson one of the top five receiver prospects in the country. This title has a lot to do with Stinson’s stellar performance at last March’s CFL Draft Evaluation Camp held here in Toronto.
At the camp, Stinson impressed by consistently performing well in both tests and drills. Although he moved up on many scouts’ radars, it was not enough to get him drafted this year. Yet Stinson was not fazed by the results. Maintaining a positive outlook, Stinson stated that “to be drafted would be great; it’s such a huge accomplishment. But it doesn’t mean the door is closed, that there aren’t other avenues…the dream isn’t over. There are a lot of good things to not being drafted.”
One is the opportunity to focus on the Blues’ upcoming season. Now that the draft is over, Stinson says his number one goal is to lead his team to success next year. “It’s about getting the Varsity Blues back to where we used to be. That’s the most exciting part. Everyone should know is that we are gonna have a good season. We are gonna be very successful. We want to share that with the rest of the school.”
This confident attitude will benefit Stinson, increasing his chances of being drafted in the future. According to Jamie Barresi, running back coach of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders, it is important for prospects to be driven and productive. He explains, “it’s kind of like that Rocky thing, you know? You just got to fight your way through and hopefully you’ll get a chance and if you get a chance to go to camp then anything can happen.” And if anything, Stinson is a fighter. He is constantly battling through a barrage of negative publicity surrounding the Blues’ losing record to defend his team and to prove the skeptics wrong.
“For people that don’t give you credibility, it’s time to earn that,” says Stinson, adding that the Blues will earn respect through continued hard work and dedication. “It’s the guys that stay there and fight through [the pressure of being a Blue] and fight every week, those are the guys that I’m proud of.” Stinson assures, “The guys on the team understand what’s at stake and how to win. And it will happen this year.”
While Stinson is focused on improving his team, scouts are already looking at the hopeful prospects for the 2009 draft. Stinson, along with other U of T standouts, could be among those hopefuls. This past Saturday, McMaster University hosted the sixth annual East West Bowl, CIS’ all-star football game featuring the top prospects for next year’s draft. No less than three Varsity Blues were invited to participate in the event. Blues’ offensive lineman Cameron Deans, defensive back Matthew D’Souza, and receiver Jeff Laforge helped lead the East team to their first ever victory over the West with a final score of 25-12.
Next season, Mark Stinson looks to earn the Blues’ first victory in 49 games. It’s clear that the Blues have what’s required to make this long anticipated victory a reality. They have great players, drive, and determination. But most importantly, they have team camaraderie. Even in the midst of the draft excitement, Stinson was the first to acknowledge his teammates. “Being drafted isn’t necessarily for me, it’s for everyone who’s helped me go through this and who has provided some form of support or motivation or shares the same dream that I have.” Obviously, the Blues support each other through thick and thin. They’re a team that watches the draft together; they’re a team that loses together. And hopefully next season, they’ll be a team that wins together.
