SPRUCE GROVE

Some will argue that the CFL might as well invite Dodo birds to training camp instead of Canadian quarterbacks, given how many of them have actually played over the last 30 years, but if there’s going to be progress, it has to start somewhere.

And the league hopes that programs like the one that brought University of Saskatchewan pivot Drew Burko to Edmonton Eskimos training camp is the start that might one day resurrect an all but extinct species.

“I think it’s a really good idea to try and increase football across Canada,” Eskimos head coach Chris Jones said of an initiative that began five years ago. “We’ve got a bunch of guest coaches this year and even they’ve talked to me about a bunch of the things they’ve learned about the way we practice and the schemes that we have.

“It’s not like we’re re-writing the book of football, but we do some pretty good things. I think a kid coming from that level will certainly benefit from that and benefit from the speed he has to practice at.”

Burko, a 22-year-old with two seasons of eligibility left at Saskatchewan, has only been here for a couple of days and already believes he’s better for the experience.

“It’s been great, there’s a lot of learning,” he said after Tuesday’s sessions at the Fuhr Sports Park in Spruce Grove. “It’s great knowing where I need to get to. You get here and you figure out where you need to get to, to play at the next level.

“I’m just trying to watch and pick up stuff I can better at, trying to learn from the guys in front of me.”

It helps that one of the guys in front of him happens to be Mike Reilly. There’s nothing like an up-close view of what it takes to become a big-time CFL QB.

“He knows everything that’s going on, he’s a great quarterback,” said Burko, adding the mental element of professional football is more intimidating than the physical.

“Mostly because of just how much stuff they expect you to know. They throw so much stuff at you right away and they expect you to know it. There’s a lot to learn, but you have to get there and learn it.

“And then there’s the speed. It’s a lot faster than I’m used to.”

The idea of the program is that Burko will take what he’s learned here and use it to become a better quarterback, maybe even a quarterback who’s good enough to play in this CFL one day.

That’s what he’s hoping, too, but Canadian quarterbacks remain more elusive than Bigfoot.

“I think it’s just how much football they play in the States,” said Burko. “There are so many quarterbacks who want to play, but not that many roster spots. Those guys from the big colleges need somewhere to play so they can come up here, and with the ratio they can keep American backups, too.

“There are just so many quarterbacks down there who want to play, it’s tough for Canada, which is a little behind them, or a lot behind them, I guess.

“But I know football is getting bigger in Canada. In Saskatoon we have minor football starting a lot younger than we used to, so if those guys can progress from a lot younger age similar to what they do in the States, they might be able to compete with that.”

As for being able to play in the league himself one day, he says to ask him when he’s done with university.

“I hope so,” he said. “We’ll have to see how these next two years go for me to know if I can or not.”

C-C-C-CFL

It got so cold at Eskimos training camp Tuesday morning that the balls were deflating on their own.

With a cold brisk wind cutting through the air, newcomers to the league got their first look at some of the adverse conditions they might face up here.

“I thought the guys did a good job with the weather like it is, it changed on them, but they played fast and it was fun to watch them today,” said Jones, adding this is nothing compared with what they’ll see in the playoffs.

“It gets this cold at home (in the southern States). The cold they’re not used to is the cold we see in late parts of the year.”

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robert.tychkowski@sunmedia.ca