THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY — Arrogance is seen by some as a character flaw, but Stampeder quarterback Drew Tate says it’s necessary on the football field.
"You’ve got to be confident and arrogant on the field," Tate said Wednesday at McMahon Stadium. "In the huddle or on the sidelines, your guys have got to hear you and see you. If you’re arrogant, you look the part and you sound the part.
"It’s nothing negative. It has nothing to do with outside of football, but while you’re playing, it’s like Batman and Bruce Wayne. Batman looks arrogant and confident and he does this thing. In order to be a football player, you have to have something about you when you’re playing."
The 27-year-old Texan can certainly be satisfied with the result of his first career start in the CFL, a 25-13 win over Saskatchewan last week.
The Iowa product completed 23 of 32 passing attempts for 251 yards and a touchdown throw.
Tate did his best work in the first half, going 16-for-20 for 213 yards and his scoring strike. Calgary’s offence wasn’t on the field as much in the second half when Tate was intercepted twice.
The performance was an important step in the quarterback’s development if the Stampeders are indeed taking the torch from Henry Burris and handing it to Tate.
Solving the defence of a Roughrider team already eliminated from playoff contention is one thing. Picking apart the protection of the defending Grey Cup champion Alouettes on Sunday in Montreal is another.
"I’m happy with his progress. I need more out of him if we’re going to win the games we want to," Calgary offensive co-ordinator Dave Dickenson said of Tate.
"Montreal, you’ve got to score because you know they’re going to score."
Montreal and Winnipeg, both 10-6, are battling for the East Division lead. After Sunday’s game Calgary hosts the Blue Bombers at home Nov. 5 in the regular-season finale at McMahon.
Calgary (9-7) has already secured a playoff berth in the West Division, but needs to win out to have any chance at a home playoff game.
Edmonton (10-6) is at the B.C. Lions (9-7) on Saturday. The Stamps lost their season series to both clubs and would rank below the Eskimos and Lions in the event of a tie.
So the stakes remain high for the Stampeders while Tate learns what it takes to be a starter in the league.
"That’s what you play for so, hell, why not go in going ‘we’ve got to win these games,"’ Tate said. "It makes it more fun during the week and makes everything more fun."
Calgary running back Jon Cornish missed Wednesday’s practice at McMahon. The team’s top rusher this season was at the hospital getting treated for a leg infection. Head coach and general manager John Hufnagel expected Cornish to be able to play Sunday.
"I don’t think it’s in doubt, unless I hear something," Hufnagel said.
With LaMarcus Coker still sidelined with an ankle injury, Joffrey Reynolds remains the No. 2 halfback behind Cornish for Sunday. Calgary’s all-time leading rusher was a healthy scratch for three games before Coker’s injury put Reynolds back in the lineup.
Montreal’s strength on defence is defending the run.
"They do a good job of making you one-dimensional," Tate acknowledged. "It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us, but’s been fun to prep for them for these past two days and it’s going to continue all the way into Sunday."
Dickenson says there are wrinkles to be ironed out in terms of communication between he and Tate, but the offensive co-ordinator felt the quarterback’s outing versus Saskatchewan was a platform on which to build.
"He made some mistakes, but overall he looked like he had played a lot of football and ran the offence well," Dickenson said. "We all think he’s been around, but he hasn’t played that much.
"He’s that sort of guy that’s going to give you what it takes to win. I’m not looking for anything more than that anyway and it was a good game for him to start out."
