Trevor Harris won\u2019t ever forget being next to Zach Collaros almost a decade and a half ago when the two quarterbacks were CFL greenhorns. How things have changed for the better since then.<\/p>\n
Trevor Harris won\u2019t ever forget being next to Zach Collaros almost a decade and a half ago when the two quarterbacks were CFL greenhorns.<\/p>\n
They were down the depth chart for the Toronto Argonauts, studying the legendary Ricky Ray and trying to gain any advantage they could. As the Nos. 3 and 4 pivots in the pecking order, there was some internal competition \u2013 and a lot of self-doubt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI remember thinking, \u2018I think I can do this,\u2019\u201d Harris said. \u201cBut then I\u2019m like, \u2018This other guy, he\u2019s pretty good, too. We\u2019re third and fourth string guys. Maybe we\u2019re just not very good.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris\u2019 fears, however small, were clearly overblown 14 years ago.<\/p>\n
Now trying to defend a Grey Cup champion with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Harris, 40, is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in CFL history. He\u2019s about to move ahead of the great Doug Flutie for 10th on the all-time passing list \u2013 a feat he should accomplish when he faces his old teammate and buddy Collaros and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Sunday\u2019s Labour Day Classic.<\/p>\n
As for Collaros, he\u2019s been no slouch, either. The 38-year-old is a three-time Grey Cup winner \u2013 twice as a starter \u2013 and his career numbers rival Harris\u2019.<\/p>\n
It all started in 2012 when they were Ray\u2019s understudies on a championship team.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if you asked both of us back then if we knew we\u2019d be playing still,\u201d Collaros said. \u201cBeing able to be around the quarterback room and Trevor and getting to know him and the way that he approaches things (was great).<\/p>\n
\u201cJust to sit back and watch the way that he prepares just each and every day for practice for whatever we were doing, I learned a lot from that. I learned a lot about preparing from him.\u201d<\/p>\n
The CFL is a small community where players tend to move around and get to know everyone. Harris has played for five of the nine teams. Collaros has suited up for four of them, including the Riders.<\/p>\n
When a peer has success at the same position, it\u2019s probably a good idea to analyze him. That\u2019s what Harris and Collaros have done with each other as they pore over film of each other in the wintertime.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s things that Trevor does at a level that most people can\u2019t in our league,\u201d Collaros said. \u201cOur style of play is definitely different, but you always try to incorporate things from other great players.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s always been underrated with respect to the way he\u2019s able to move in the pocket and get the ball out of his hands. I\u2019m trying to incorporate some of that stuff in the offseason. There\u2019s lots to pick up. From watching Trev over the years, just how cerebral and how accurate he can be with the football.\u201d<\/p>\n
The respect they have for each other is quickly apparent when you hear one talk about the other. Their answers are loquacious and complimentary.<\/p>\n
Harris admires Collaros\u2019 elusiveness in the pocket, strong arm, and leadership capabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019d probably be easier to say what I don\u2019t appreciate about Zach\u2019s game,\u201d Harris said. \u201cI don\u2019t appreciate that he plays for Winnipeg. Aside from that, I couldn\u2019t admire somebody more in terms of who they\u2019ve been as a player and how he\u2019s continued to evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s both of their abilities to adapt that have kept them at such a high level for such a long time.<\/p>\n
Defences have so much film on the two stars thanks to their many years in the CFL that it should be as easy to read them by now as it is to read book. That\u2019s not the case, though.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs your career evolves and defences evolve playing against you, I think you evolve as a player,\u201d Harris said. \u201cEarly on in my career was very\u00a0much just take what they give me (and) do what I\u2019m supposed to do. It\u2019s evolved to the point where I feel like I can use my eyes, feet and shoulders to manipulate defenders and whether it be second-level defenders, third-level defenders, interior triangle situations where I can cancel and reset quicker.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re not able to do that, then obviously shame on you, and I think that you\u2019re not going to play very long.\u201d<\/p>\n
The end is coming sooner than later for these two greats. They\u2019re certainly more grey than green now.<\/p>\n
Harris joked that Collaros has been hinting it would be his last year for a few years.<\/p>\n
A lot of time has passed since that first foray into the league with the Argos, which Collaros called a \u201cspecial year.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m grateful for his friendship, but tomorrow between that 60 minutes I know we\u2019ll be battling,\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s just it. They\u2019re not done yet. As they prepare for the most anticipated game of the season \u2013 the Labour Day Classic \u2013 Harris is sure there\u2019s still more room to grow.<\/p>\n
Safe to say that his self-doubt is a thing of the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like I still have my best football ahead of me,\u201d he said. \u201cI really do believe that. The back end of this season will be the best football we play as an offence and myself as well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Trevor Harris won\u2019t ever forget being next to Zach Collaros almost a decade and a half ago when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":885135,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[437],"tags":[49,48,521,522,520,82],"class_list":["post-885134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cfl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-canadian-football-league","tag-canadianfootballleague","tag-cfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=885134"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885134\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/885135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}