Lulay proves his worth

VANCOUVER -- The Canadian Football League is all about the quarterback, and never was this more defined than in the 99th Grey Cup game played at B.C. Place Stadium on Sunday.

Two former teammates put on a display that will be remembered for their abilities to stand up to the biggest challenges of their respective careers and prove their talents.

Travis Lulay, playing in his first full season as a starter for the B.C. Lions, provided ample reasons why he is one of the best-developed CFL quarterbacks in some time, leading his team to a 34-23 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Lulay, voted the CFL's Most Outstanding Player in 2011, took his game to a higher level, completing 21 of 37 passes, for 320 yards, and two touchdowns. He was deservedly named the game's Most Valuable Player because through some struggles at points he maintained his poise. One of his passes should have been a touchdown late in the second quarter, with the Lions leading 14-3, but receiver Shawn Gore failed to clutch the ball. Gore had nothing but daylight to the end zone.

If Lulay was unlucky on that, he had the good fortune to have avoided an interception early in the fourth quarter with the Lions leading 24-9. Blue Bomber defensive end Odell Willis, who couldn't have asked for a greater gift, handled the ball like a proverbial hot potato at the B.C. 20-yard line. The scorekeeper kindly listed it as a pass knocked down. The Lions made use of the opportunity to extend a drive that ended in a touchdown and raised the score 31-9 in B.C.'s favour. Had Willis grabbed the throw and registered a touchdown or given the offence a chance to do it, the score would have been 24-16 with plenty of time on the clock.

Lulay is entering his option year and will be obligated to play at least one more season in the CFL because he can't exercise the window of opportunity to try the NFL. He extended his current pact after the CFL put in rules to end that option, so he will be back for another year to develop and continue his current trajectory. He has grown exponentially, and you can be sure the NFL will court him. As an American, he will surely want to prove he can play in the country of his birth at the peak and prime of his career.

And you can be sure the Lions will do everything they can within the structures of the salary cap to keep him beyond the 2012 season. He is a special player, a young leader with good arm strength, mobility and a competitive fire.

Lulay was benched in the second half of the Lions' seventh game, which would be recorded as a loss and put the team in a 1-6 hole. A lesser individual may have crumbled mentally or emotionally, but Lulay found it within himself to rebound. The Lions went on an 8-0 after that, finished in a three-way tie for first and were placed on top because of head-to-head records with Edmonton and Calgary. The Lions capped it off with a facile win in the West Division Final against Edmonton and added to it with the Grey Cup victory, punctuating an incredible turnaround.

Long after the game ended and B.C. Place Stadium all but empty, some Lions' fans were still shouting "MVP, MVP, MVP."

On the opposite side of the field, Buck Pierce, given up by the Lions after the 2009 season following five years of service because of concerns about his physical health, gave the Bombers every ounce of his courage and heart. The Lions took a risk letting Pierce go, but they felt they had enough information from a medical perspective to come to that conclusion and sufficient quarterbacking depth, including Lulay. It was, as Lions' general manager and head coach Wally Buono noted earlier in the week, nothing personal. Decisions on players are made daily and this would be one that has made Buono the top-winning head coach in CFL: history. Whether or not Buono decides to retire now or concentrate solely on managing the team, his success can be measured on his understanding of the importance of quality quarterbacks. He made sure he had one or more on his team and the tools to help them maximize their potential. The list of quarterbacks who have played for him include Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, Dave Dickenson and Casey Printers, to name some of the more prominent ones.

So while Pierce had five seasons with Buono and was then summarily let go, he has given the Bombers franchise confidence for the future. He rallied the team from a 31-9 hole and did all he could to almost pull off the impossible and improbable. Right until the final whistle, he gave all it he could, leaving nothing but sweat on the field and likely some blood, too. He completed 19 of 37 passes for 250 yards and had two touchdowns pass and one interception.

Pierce will always cause people to wince with every hit he takes, but you can not deny his talent and his courage. On the opening series, he had his helmet knocked off on a gritty first-down run.

It was apropos that in the 2011 Grey Cup, Lulay and Pierce, once teammates, proved just how important a quarterback is. Unfortunately, only one of them could win.

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.