Damon Allen has a close connection with Anthony Calvillo, the man set to break his touchdown record.
It seemed like only yesterday that Damon Allen retired, his multiple Canadian Football League and all-time professional football records safe and secure.
But that was back in 2008, his 23-year CFL career officially over, and unbeknownst to Allen, and really the football world at large, a younger quarterback named Anthony Calvillo was about to take dead aim at his records and, potentially, set CFL and professional football marks that may never be broken.
And that's because Calvillo shows no signs of retiring. He is 38, yet as he is getting older he is also getting better.
The Montreal Alouettes' great will very likely break Allen's CFL career record of 394 passing touchdowns this Friday at Molson Stadium against the Toronto Argonauts.
Calvillo has been on an early tear in the 2011 season, highlighted by throwing for a breathtaking five TD passes last week against Saskatchewan. Some time this season Calvillo will shatter Allen's pro record of 72,381 yards, and he will have done it much quicker. Allen bettered Warren Moon's mark of 70,553 on Labour Day in 2007.
"When I hit the 72,000 (passing yardage) mark, people said it would never be broken," Allen said on Wednesday on a conference call to talk about Calvillo and his pursuit of the passing touchdown record. "At the same time now they're going, 'Oh my God, (the 72,381) thing is so close and he's breaking it in less time.
"It's just phenomenal to see the things that he's been able to accomplish. Records are meant to be broken and I truly understand that."
Allen became an all-around great quarterback through his sheer athleticism, capable of making plays with his feet and his arm. Calvillo has been more of a passer.
He started with Las Vegas back in 1994 in the era of the CFL's U.S. invasion and then headed to Hamilton in 1996 as part of the dispersal draft of American teams. He apprenticed behind Matt Dunigan, Allen's onetime teammate in Edmonton back in the '80s, and higher up on the quarterback depth chart. Dunigan's season -- and his career for that matter -- ended suddenly with a crushing tackle in 1996 and that expedited Calvillo's ascension to the No. 1 role.
But he stumbled and literally fumbled in Hamilton until becoming a free agent in 1998 and signing with Montreal, where he had to find himself and his game as the backup to Tracy Ham, who coincidentally Allen had to apprentice behind early in his career.
Calvillo became a different quarterback when he took over full-time from Ham after he retired following the 1999 season. In 2002, Don Matthews took over as the Als' head coach, he declared Calvillo as his unequivocal starter and would allow him to call his own plays.
Calvillo was a totally different player, poised and confident and led the Als to a Grey Cup win. He has continued to elevate his game each year.
"I'm pretty sure when you think of Anthony and what he's been able to do, his total path to greatness when he first started out in Las Vegas to struggling times at Hamilton and really finding himself under the tutelage of Tracy Ham to where he is today is phenomenal," Allen said. "It talks really truly about his dedication."
Calvillo has had to overcome off-field struggles, such as his wife battling cancer a few years ago, and his own bout with it last year. He had surgery in the off-season to remove a lesion on his thyroid and has had no issues since.
He has bounced back from both his wife's cancer scare and his own more appreciative of the game and life in general.
"He can still throw for 350 yards, 400 and rush for 100," Allen said. "You don't have that dynamic anymore in our game that often."
Allen said watching Calvillo play is like seeing a craftsman at work.
"He sees the game much slower than anyone else, he knows where his players are so the game is much slower," Allen said. "He has a much better grasp of the game because of his experience, what he's been through and at the same time they continue to build a great football team around him and so it makes the job so much easier. What I see is a confidence that you don't have to speak of when he steps on the field."
Last week after the Als humbled Saskatchewan, Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant was in awe. Durant really didn't have a chance to appreciate Allen's skill because he was just in the apprenticeship stage when Allen was retiring.
In fact, Durant became a full-time starter when Kerry Joseph was traded to Toronto in 2008 after leading Saskatchewan to a Grey Cup in 2007 and winning the Most Outstanding Player of the year award in the CFL.
Because of his chance to witness first-hand Calvillo's ability, Durant considers him the greatest quarterback he's ever seen. It might be hard to argue that.
Both Allen and Calvillo improved with age, their competitive fire burning as much, if not more, than earlier in their career when they were younger and couldn't fathom playing this long.
"I'm watching a doctor, he has his masters at work and he's out there enjoying the game with all these young guys," Allen said.
Allen has had relationships with numerous quarterbacks as part of that fraternity. A few years ago he had a football challenge for quarterbacks and Calvillo was among those who competed. He could see right then and there Calvillo's skill level and a relationship off the field began. The common connection Calvillo and Allen had through Ham further cemented it.
"That's where the bond and relationship began and why I can speak so highly of him," Allen said.
They are truly brothers in arms.
