THE CANADIAN PRESS
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — They’ve got the CFL’s worst record and are mired at or near the bottom of most of the league’s offensive categories.
But one offensive bright spot this season for the Toronto Argonauts has been tailback Jamal Robertson. The five-foot-nine, 216-pound dynamo is fifth in CFL rushing with 859 yards and poised to become the Argos’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Michael Jenkins ran for 1,484 yards in 2001.
"It would be nice to achieve that," the soft-spoken Robertson said Thursday following Toronto’s practice. "I know it’s been a while for the organization.
"And on a personal note, everyone has been (teasing) me about my age but I want to try and let them know that I have years left in me. So I’m just letting them know I can still run that ball a little bit."
Toronto acquired Robertson, 32, from Saskatchewan prior to last season. He appeared in 17 games — starting seven — and rushed for 645 yards, finishing with a solid 5.5-yard average as the Argos posted a 4-14 record to miss the CFL playoffs.
New Argos head coach Bart Andrus, familiar with Robertson from the time both spent in NFL Europe, made the former Ohio Northern star a focal point of Toronto’s offence. And Robertson has flourished with a heavier workload.
He’s averaging 5.4 yards per carry and his eight rushing TDs are second only to Montreal’s Avon Cobourne (11). But Robertson has shown he can do much more than just carry the football.
Robertson leads all CFL running backs in receiving with 56 catches for 471 yards, totals that leave him first and second, respectively, among Argos receivers.
"I’ve always been able to catch, I’ve always had hands," Robertson said. "I really was never given a lot of opportunity down south to show all my skills so it’s great they gave me a chance to show them and they believe in me coming out of the backfield and catching the ball. I like that."
So does Andrus.
"He’s a guy we count on, he’s a playmaker, he’s a guy that can get the whole thing on any down at any time," Andrus said. "Those are the kind of things we saw in him, that ability and he’s lived up to the expectations that I’ve had for him.
"He’s a good receiver and a guy that once he catches the ball is going to get yards after the catch. That’s something that’s disturbing to defences, especially when he catches the ball two or three yards past the line of scrimmage and turns and goes and gets 16 or 17. That’s been a very good, very positive thing for us."
But make no mistake. Robertson would rather run with the football than catch it.
"Oh no, I’m downhill," he said with a chuckle. "I definitely like to run the ball downhill right away."
What makes Robertson’s offensive numbers even more impressive is Toronto’s offensive struggles this season. The Argos (3-10), are last in the CFL in scoring (18.7 points per game) and rushing (90.9 yards per game) and second-last in passing yards (230.1 per game), total yards (288.5 per game) and touchdowns scored (19).
What’s more, Toronto hasn’t registered a TD pass in its last five games. And the Argos face the Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-6) at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday having lost three straight and eight of their last nine contests.
But Robertson’s rushing success this season is consistent with a trend this year in the usually pass-happy CFL. Four running backs have already surpassed 1,000 yards rushing, with Robertson among four others projected to do so by season’s end.
By comparison, no receiver has cracked the 1,000-yard barrier and only Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo is projected to pass for more than 5,000 yards.
If all eight tailbacks surpass 1,000 yards rushing, it would mark a CFL first.
"I’m looking around the league saying, `Wow,’ " Robertson said. "I look at the numbers and everyone is doing well.
"It’s good that they’re bringing the running game back to the CFL."
Andrus said having Robertson rush for more than 1,000 yards would be a big accomplishment for Toronto’s offence.
"Any time you can get a back with 1,000 yards I think that’s pretty special . . . particularly in a game where you’re in a three-down situation," Andrus said. "That says something about the ability of a back when that could happen."
As is typical of American-born running backs, Robertson took a long and winding road to Toronto.
He began his pro career on Calgary’s practice roster when the Stampeders won the 2001 Grey Cup. After signing with the San Francisco 49ers in 2002, Robertson was allocated to NFL Europe’s Rhein Fire, recording a league-record 90-yard TD run en route to being named the league’s offensive MVP.
Robertson returned to San Francisco, where he spent two years before being waived. Robertson signed with the Carolina Panthers in 2004 but was released prior to the ’06 campaign.
Robertson became an Atlanta Falcon in December 2006 but was cut Aug. 8, 2007. Robertson returned to Canada on Nov. 14, 2007 when he signed with Saskatchewan in time for the Riders’ Grey Cup championship march.
Saskatchewan’s quarterback that year was none other than Kerry Joseph, the ’07 CFL MVP who is now Robertson’s teammate in Toronto. Joseph said Robertson’s versatility and durability provide an offence plenty of options.
"Sometimes things downfield are covered up and he’s a guy you know you can check the ball down to," Joseph said. "He can make guys miss and get yards after the catch.
