Lucas: Donovan could feel the draft, but CFL calls
Watching bits and pieces of the NFL draft, Tyler Donovan felt some emptiness knowing that his name would not be called. That really hit close to home for the former University of Wisconsin quarterback when the Green Bay Packers drafted Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm in the second round. "Growing up as a kid in Wisconsin," said Donovan, a proud Cheesehead from Hartland and Arrowhead High School, "that would have been a dream come true for me."
But the 23-year-old Donovan hasn't stopped dreaming about making a career out of playing football. In this sense, he's no different than Brohm or his UW teammates who will be getting their opportunities in NFL training camps. The difference is that Donovan will be taking a different path -- with maybe the same final destination in mind -- after signing a free agent contract with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. "It's the next stage in my life, and I'm excited," he said, "because I'm getting a chance to make it happen."
Donovan recently got some encouraging words on the direction that he was taking professionally from former Badgers tailback Anthony Davis, the school's second-leading all-time rusher and a seventh-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2005 draft. Davis has spent the last couple of years in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after being cut as a rookie by the Colts. After rushing for 457 yards (5.3 average) in 13 regular-season games over that span with Hamilton, Davis was traded in December to the Toronto Argonauts.
"He's still going," Donovan said, marveling at Davis' perseverance, especially since his first season with the Tiger-Cats was limited to only a handful of games after he injured his knee. Injuries were also a factor in Davis' collegiate run. "Anthony was telling me all the good things about the league, and how I was going to have a blast playing," Donovan continued. "Every day I'm learning more and more."
His personal instructor has been none other than UW offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Paul Chryst, who had two stints as an assistant in the CFL with Ottawa and Saskatchewan. "I do think he can make it in Canada," Chryst said. "The game fits his skill set a little bit more (than the NFL). It's a wider field, and he's got enough arm for it. Plus, he's got the athleticism and the ability to improvise, which fits that league. That's why they're excited about him."
Chryst played a role in networking with some old CFL contacts, which helped bring Donovan to the attention of the Eskimos. That was confirmed by Edmonton coach Danny Maciocia. "Tyler comes highly recommended," said Maciocia, the team's former offensive coordinator, who also doubles as the director of football operations. "He's a strong and accurate passer and a gritty competitor -- all the attributes that will serve him well in the CFL."
The Eskimos have some history with the Badgers. One of their most productive defensive players in the '90s was Malvin "Big Game" Hunter, a member of Don Morton's first recruiting class at Wisconsin. Hunter, a Harvey, Ill. native, was a four-year starter at linebacker in the Big Ten and finished with 307 career tackles. In Edmonton, he was a three-time All-Star over his eight years, including two Grey Cup appearances. Hunter had been coaching the defensive line for the Eskimos, but he will not return this season.
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s it is, the Big Ten has some representation on the current Edmonton roster, ranging from former Northwestern tailback Damien Anderson to former Michigan placekicker Hayden Epstein to former Ohio State defensive end Tim Cheatwood to Donovan, who has been focusing more on the personality of the Canadian game than the personnel. For starters, the field is 110 yards long and 65 yards wide (versus 53
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in American colleges and the NFL). Each end zone is 20 yards deep. In the CFL, teams get one less down (three), but one more player (12). In addition, there's unlimited backfield motion to go along with some minor scoring differences.
Donovan got his first taste of the changes during a tryout in Florida with the Eskimos. The three-day minicamp led to the contract offer. "Throughout our (UW) season, they had been showing some interest in me through e-mails," said Donovan, who threw for 2,607 yards and 17 touchdowns last fall and ran for five scores in his one season as full-time starter at Wisconsin, guiding the Badgers to a 9-4 record. "And when we held our pro day here in Madison, they showed a lot of interest and it kind of took off from there. Since I had only one year as a starter (at Wisconsin) I thought the CFL was my best route. After I signed, I'd get a call every once in a while from a (NFL) team and it makes you kind of wonder, 'What if ...' "
After a brief pause, he added, "I'm happy with the direction I'm going. It's a different game because of the rules. But it's really the same game, and I think it's really going to fit me nicely in terms of how I play. While it has always been a dream of mine to make an NFL team, I've obviously got one task ahead of me now -- and that's to play in the CFL."
And he can't thank Chryst enough for getting him to this position. "You play for the love of the game, your family and the fans," Donovan said. "But I can honestly say this season that I was playing for coach Chryst. I'll never forget what he has done for me."
Donovan will be in competition with three veteran Edmonton quarterbacks: Ricky Ray, Stefan LeFors (who preceded Brohm at Louisville), and Jason Maas. At that, Donovan will be facing some long odds to even make the roster of the Eskimos, who are looking to rebound from a 5-12-1 season. Shortly after graduating on May 21, Donovan will report to training camp, where he will don a new jersey number (No. 7) and accept a new challenge. The first preseason game is June 13 against the Calgary Stampeders.
When asked if he had given any thought to switching positions -- possibly playing defensive back to make himself more marketable to NFL teams -- Donovan insisted, "If I'm playing football, I'm going to be playing quarterback. That's my mind-set. That's where my heart is, and that's where my passion is at. I've got a chance to keep playing (in the CFL), and that's what it's all about. And I'm going to work hard to keep the dream alive."
mlucas@madison.com
File photo
Tyler Donovan's passing ability and his running ability give him a skill-set that is well-suited to the wide-open Canadian Football League.
