It’s easy to overlook Eskimos cornerback Mercy Maston because he doesn’t want or need any attention.
He’s fearless when it comes to going head-to-head against any of the CFL’s top receivers, but he’s not about to emulate one of his favourite players while growing up. (Former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Darrelle Revis trademarked the area of the field that he defended as “Revis Island” for his ability to shut down the opposing team’s No. 1 receiver.)
“That’s just Mercy,” Eskimos safety Neil King said about his unassuming, low-key teammate. “He’s always been the guy who just wanted to go out there and play good football and consistently try to get better every single day.”
That quickly became apparent when Maston arrived in Edmonton for his first professional football experience after the CFL practice rosters expanded late in the 2016 season.
“He’s very talented,” King said. “When he came in, it was one of those ‘Oh wow! Who is this guy?’ He made a name for himself pretty quick in our locker room.
“Pretty much from that point on, he’s been making plays.”
Maston, 25, considers himself a blue-collar player. He works extremely hard on and off the field all the time.
“The guy competes absolutely every single day,” said King. “It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, and he’s competing every single day. It’s been fun to be a part of that process with him.”
King also pointed out that Maston is in the film room 24/7 (24 hours a day, seven days a week). “He’s just one of those guys who really enjoys working behind-the-scenes to then showcase his ability when he plays.”
Maston was in the process of working his way into the Eskimos starting lineup as a rookie last year, moving back-and-forth from the practice roster to the game roster and starting five of his seven games because of a rash of injuries in the secondary, when he blew out his Achilles tendon during the pre-game warm-up prior to the Labour Day Rematch game with the Calgary Stampeders.
“He had a great start to the season last year,” King recalled. “He was one of our best cover guys and smart, too. He can play any position. He can play half(back). He can play corner. Anything you ask of him, he’ll be able to do.
“It was just a crazy injury with his Achilles last year. It just blew me away because he does nothing but take care of himself. He takes a lot of time making sure his body is physically ready to play week-in and week-out, so it was just one of those freak accidents that happens.”
Of course, Maston was ahead of the curve in his rehabilitation from the injury, although he missed training camp and the first six games of the regular season.
“He was running quicker than anticipated,” King said. “He’s been one of our best guys coming back from injury … and is playing extremely good football right now.”
Middle linebacker J.C. Sherritt and defensive back Brandyn Thompson (who went to Boise State University before Maston arrived in 2013) also suffered Achilles injuries last year. Sherritt has played the entire 2018 season and currently ranks fifth in the CFL with 91 defensive tackles while Thompson recently joined the Eskimos’ practice roster and has yet to play this year.
Maston, who has 28 defensive tackles, six special teams tackles and two interceptions while starting each of the last 11 games at boundary (short-side) corner, is just happy to be playing again.
“Sometimes, guys don’t even come back from that injury,” he said. “Coming back from my ruptured Achilles, I couldn’t ask for more.”
It didn’t take him long to get back up to game speed once he was finally able to return to practice.
“Once I got out there, I just knew everything because – sitting out – all you do is watch film and learn plays and learn what they’re doing and all that,” he said. “Basically, you get ahead in some ways.”
It also helped Maston to defend against the Eskimos receivers every day in practice.
“I feel like our guys are the best receivers in the league,” he said.
Cornerback is Maston’s favourite position to play, but also a very difficult one to master.
“You have to control your island (just like Revis),” he said. “Some people say it’s a position you learn. Some people say it’s a position that comes naturally to you.”
Is Maston a natural cornerback or did he have to learn how to play the position?
“I’ve been playing it since I was a kid, so I don’t know what to call it,” he said.
Maston prefers to consider himself “an all-around player” rather than just a ballhawk (although he does have his first two CFL interceptions this season) or just a defender.
“I love football, man,” he said. “That’s it. I love football.”
The last time Maston was a full-time starter was at Bakersfield College, a junior college in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., in 2012. After transferring to Boise State, he started four games at cornerback, but also was part of a rotation at cornerback in his first season and then a new coaching staff shifted him to the ‘dime’ position (an extra defensive back inserted into the defence for passing downs) during his senior year.
“I was going to get bigger and stronger to show my versatility, but I put too much work into it and got hurt,” Maston said. “I was overdoing it. I went crazy during the off-season and got a little too big.
“I was trying to get ready for the NFL. Going from my junior to my senior year, I just wanted to get bigger and stronger. I was working out every day something crazy. I would work out with the team, and then I’d work out on my own. I was in the weight room with the strength and conditioning coach. We were in there getting after it.”
Even though he felt “just real big … buff,” Maston eventually suffered stress fractures in his fibula bones. They healed after five weeks, but now he was out of football shape because he hadn’t been practising, so he opted to take a redshirt year and sit out the 2014 NCAA season.
Unfortunately, the stress fractures came back the following year, and he needed bi-lateral release surgery on both legs “to release some pressure so the swelling can go down in my muscles.” He ended up missing the team’s summer conditioning before his senior year.
Maston grew up in a big family with two brothers and two sisters “and a lot of cousins.” His brothers both played sports growing up, but Mercy was the only one to play college football. He was also the first member of his family to graduate from college (with a communications degree).
“It really evolved around sports,” Maston said about his childhood. “Whatever it was, I liked sports. Basketball, football, soccer. I did it all.”
Football was his main sport, his passion.
“I always knew I wanted to play (pro) football. I just played everything for the fun of it.”