Chris O’Leary
Edmonton Journal
Kavis Reed described the catch as exceptional, but picturesque suits Cary Koch better.
The Edmonton Eskimo head coach stood at the day-before-the-game podium in the Bryan Hall Media Centre at Commonwealth Stadium and articulated on a play Koch made in Friday’s pre-season game in Calgary against the Stampeders.
“The young man made an exceptional play to get us out of an adverse field position,” Reed said. “Not only did he secure the catch, but it was a sight-adjustment route, so his football I.Q. really showed there.”
In addition to his team-best three-reception, 42-yard performance, the 25-year-old Koch is equally adept off the field. After he had graduated from the University of Virginia in 2009, he was exploring his options in pro football and headed to New York City to give something else a shot. He stayed with his sister and tried his hand at modelling.
“It’s long forgotten,” Koch said after Wednesday’s walk-through practice, laughing when the topic came up. “It was a past life.
“I had finished (school) and it was in-between getting tryouts with teams. I had a month there where I was kind of in between training and trying to figure out what I was going to do. I had an opportunity to go to New York and do some modelling, so I took it.”
The Baton Rouge, La., native said he had a portfolio when he was younger and kept it updated over the years. Also, photographers stayed in touch with him.
Koch said nothing came out of that modelling gig, but he learned a lot about it.
“It’s not an industry I’d like to pursue any more,” he said. “Like any business, it’s dog eat dog. It’s a tough business to crack, but it was fun.”
After two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Koch signed with the Eskimos on the first day of free agency in February. The six-foot, 198 pounder has done a solid job of cracking the starting lineup.
“He’s what we thought he was, to use a Denny Green line,” Reed said. “Cary is someone we identified as a top priority in free agency. He was the only starter that played (on Friday) and he never complained. He played on special teams and did an absolutely wonderful job. We’ve got a consummate pro in Cary Koch and we knew we were getting that guy.”
Koch said it’s been an easy transition to his new team.
“I know most of the guys on the team by first names now. We’re a tight group. These three weeks have been a very team-oriented. We’re a very close-knit team,” he said.
As Koch heads into his second pre-season start Thursday, he’s also poised to take on a large role with the team when the games start to count on June 30.
“We expect that he’ll be the guy that takes up the slack in the numbers that J.B. (Jason Barnes) would have gotten,” Reed said.
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