It’s only appropriate that with BMO Field surrounded by midway games, Mike Miller has decided to roll the dice.
Looking for a shot of adrenaline for a stagnant running game, the Toronto Argonauts head coach has made a roster change ahead of Saturday’s vital game against Hamilton, inserting rookie Qualan Jones at running back, replacing fellow rookie Sam Hicks.
“We’re always looking at ways to see if there’s something we can do to improve our club,” Miller told Argonauts.ca. “No one’s done anything wrong or anything like that, (Jones) is a young man that continues to work hard, as does the rest of that room, but he’s a guy with a skillset that we want to take a look at, and I want to take a look at it in live action.”
Miller is also aware that most college players play no more than 10-12 games a year, and this stage of a CFL season can be a grind for first year pros, both physically and mentally, and someone like Hicks could really benefit for some mid-season downtime.
The two backs bring different talents to the table. Jones is more of a power back than Hicks, who is a scatback. At 5’10”, 242 pounds – an inch taller and 50 pounds heavier than Hicks – he’ll add a more physical presence, something Miller has said time and time again reflects his philosophy of football.
There was intense competition for the starting RB job in training camp, but Jones had a more difficult road in front of him when trying to impress. With limited full contact in camp, it’s tougher for a power back to show off one of the traits that got him to the pros in the first place.
“I’m a physical, downhill runner,” Jones explained. “I’m big on pass protection, making sure everything is blocked up. If I can pick up a blitz, I’m going to be there in the centre of it.”
That must create a warm feeling for Miller like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. Pass protection has been a problem for the Boatmen this year, and adding a big back who is ready, willing, and able to block, may give quarterback Chad Kelly more time to work his magic.
But the native of Cedar Hill, Texas, is more than just a blocking back. In his final season at Stephen F. Austin in 2024, he rushed for an average of 80 yards a game with 8 touchdowns, adding 13 catches for 80 yards.
— Q✍🏽 (@QualanJ_13) March 7, 2025
In camp, he showed off a combination of quickness and surprising speed for someone that size and was in the running to be the team’s starter before the team’s first pre-season game in Hamilton.
“I went through the game perfectly fine,” Jones recalled. “I woke up the next morning and I had a bone contusion in my shoulder. I couldn’t even raise my arm.”
He spent the next week with the athletic therapists, then had a bye week to give the shoulder more rest and he was ready to go, but the team had opted to go with Hicks to start the season. It meant Jones was headed to the practice roster. He took the decision in stride.
“I said, okay, that’s fine,” said Jones. “That gives me more time to do treatment on my shoulder, so when they need me, next man up, I’m fully healthy with nothing to worry about.”
Jones didn’t play football last year. He attended camp with the Kansas City Chiefs but was released. As a young father, and suddenly with football not an option, he needed a job. It was honest work, but a dramatic change from his NFL opportunity.
“I was working construction five days a week, then on weekends I’d go to the gym. One day I clocked into work and at the end of the shift I got a call from the Argos. They said they’d love to have me there and I said I’m on my way right now.”
Saturday might be the best football day Jones has had since he was a star at Trinity Christian School, where he teamed up with quarterback Shedeur Sanders – with Deion Sanders as head coach – to win back-to-back state high school championships, no easy task in a football-crazy state.
“My junior year I transferred (to Trinity Christian) and I ended the season with 21 touchdowns and 800 some yards and at the end I got my first actual ring. Growing up I’d get trophies and medals, but I got that ring and it brought a joyful moment to me.”
He’ll have a smile on his face again when he takes the field on Saturday, a chance to show what he can do in his pro debut, coming in an important game against a huge rival.