2012 Training Camp
June 5, 2012
Evan Daum
Edmonton Journal
Grant Shaw‘s name isn’t the first one that comes to mind when Edmonton Eskimos fans think of Dec. 12.
Shaw seemed like an afterthought in the blockbuster deal that saw quarterback Ricky Ray dealt to the Toronto Argonauts for QB Steven Jyles, the second overall pick in the 2012 Canadian college draft and Shaw.
“Part of me always wanted to be in Edmonton. This is my hometown, so hearing that, Christmas came early for me,” Shaw said. “To be part of a huge trade with Ricky Ray, I think, was part of the small print of the deal, but it was good to be a part of and, for me, it was just good to get home.”
While Jyles and the race to replace Ray at the quarterback position is sure to dominate headlines throughout Eskimo training camp, Shaw will be part of an intriguing position battle of his own.
The Jasper Place High School product is one of three Canadian kickers in camp. He will have his work cut out for him competing against Derek Schiavone and Burke Dales for kicking time.
Schiavone has spent the last four seasons with the Green and Gold. The Western University product saw action in five games last year, going a combined 16 for 19 on field goal attempts.
While Schiavone’s spot in the Edmonton kicking game isn’t backed by a full season of game action, Dales, a 2011 CFL all-star who inked a deal with the Esks in February, spent seven seasons with the Calgary Stampeders.
Dales is a veteran of 118 CFL games and is coming off a season in which he tied for the league lead in punting average with former Eskimo Damon Duval, who was released by Edmonton in February. He appears to be a lock to handle Edmonton’s punting duties this season.
“Burke Dales is not going to hand anything over to anyone. He’s a consummate pro and a proven professional in terms of his stats and his body of work,” Eskimo Head Coach Kavis Reed said.
“Derek has improved tremendously over the years, and Grant is the up-and-comer who is able to do all three if he really puts his mind to it.”
It all adds up to a tough job interview for Shaw, who primarily handled kickoff duties with the Argonauts since being taken 11th overall in the 2010 draft out of the University of Saskatchewan.
“They just want me competing,” Shaw said of the message delivered to him by the coaching staff since he joined the team. “There are spots open, and it’s just a matter of going out there and competing. There are kicking jobs open, and I’m learning the defensive playbook just in case.”
While Shaw, who played defensive back at the U of S, isn’t guaranteed a kicking job, Reed is excited about the potential for the junior Edmonton Huskies graduate to handle all three kicking duties.
“Grant is very important to us. Extremely important to us,” Reed said. “He may end up being the most important part of that Ricky Ray trade. If he’s able to do two (kicking jobs), it gives us tremendous flexibility. We know that the young man has the ability to kick long field goals and be a supreme kickoff specialist, but if he can punt as well, it’s going to make our lives a lot easier.”
That’s high praise for a player who was cut from the junior ranks after high school, eventually made the Huskies and then spent a year playing in a senior men’s league before accepting an offer at Saskatchewan.
After kicking for two seasons with the Argos and only one year at the university level, Shaw’s kicking potential has barely been realized.
“I’m pretty raw as a kicker,” Shaw said after nailing several field goals from 55 yards. “I only did it one year in university, so it’s a learning process.
“I’ve got a powerful leg. It’s just a matter of being consistent. You can’t miss, and you’ve got to be up there at 85 per cent, so for me, it’s just a matter of hitting every kick the same no matter the distance.”
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