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<H2>Tiger-Cats' Lumsden breaks CFL's mould</H2>
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<H4>HERB ZURKOWSKY, The Gazette</H4>Published:7 hours ago
Jesse Lumsden heard it all while growing up, yet remained undaunted and, somehow, persevered.
He was too tall.
He was too white.
He was too lean.
He was even too Canadian.
"I wanted to do it, and I wasn't going to let anyone tell me I couldn't," he said.
They call it the Canadian Football League, but it's a misnomer. Sure, the rules are unique, but half the rosters are comprised of U.S.-born players, including the skill positions of quarterback and running back. And the coaching staffs are almost entirely comprised of Americans, although a pair of Canucks, British Columbia's Wally Buono and Edmonton's Danny Maciocia, God bless them, are non-imports.
So you can imagine how refreshing it is to see Lumsden lining up in the Hamilton Tiger-Cats backfield and, for the most part, succeeding. Lumsden is a white, Canadian running back. Imagine that?
Twice, he has tried making it in the National Football League, with Seattle and Washington, but didn't survive long - because he's a white, Canadian running back.
Even before turning pro, Lumsden heard whispers some teams wanted to convert him to slotback because he's a white, Canadian running back. It mattered little that he captured the Hec Crighton trophy in 2004, awarded annually to the outstanding player in the Canadian college ranks, or that he set a single-season CIS rushing mark of 1,816 yards. Only through the grace of former Ticats head coach Greg Marshall - a Canadian, and Lumsden's collegiate coach at McMaster - was he drafted sixth overall in 2005 and allowed to play the position of his choice.
Marshall has long since departed, but Lumsden, in his first full season with Hamilton, is thriving. He's the league's second-leading rusher, with 592 yards on only 67 carries - a mind-boggling average of 8.8 yards per trip - along with three touchdowns. He gained 158 yards in a game against B.C. Two weeks later against Winnipeg, and with his father, former CFL fullback Neil Lumsden doing commentary on the radio, he had 211 yards. He was named the league's Canadian player of the month in July.
"I've always considered myself a running back," he said. "I'm proud to be Canadian and I wear the Maple Leaf on my sleeve, but I'm doing this as a player. I was always taught never to doubt my own ability.
"Running the ball is all about attitude. If you have it, that's what matters."
Lumsden, who recently turned 25, has that gumption. In spades. At 6-foot-2 and 226 pounds, he has the rare combination of size, speed and power. He's not shifty, but is quicker than people realize. He attacks the line of scrimmage with relentless power and is difficult to tackle alone. Should he elude the linebackers and hit the secondary, Lumsden seems to find a second gear.
He has a chance to become the first Canadian to lead the league in rushing since Orville Lee in 1988. He could reach Normie Kwong's 51-year-old mark of 1,437 yards - believed to be the most in a season by a Canadian back.
The Ticats have built their offence around him and Lumsden quickly has become the face of the team. The Burlington, Ont., native almost immediately was dubbed a sex symbol and had a full-page photo spread in the Hamilton Spectator.
"It would be an insult to Jesse to say I'm amazed," head coach Charlie Taaffe said. "Jesse's a heck of a player. I don't care if he's Canadian. He's a fine player who happens to be Canadian. He's developing into one of the premier players in the league. I'm glad he's on our team."
But Lumsden remains human. And he can be stopped. He was held to 38 yards two weeks ago, by Edmonton, and gained only 15 yards early this season, against Toronto. Even the Alouettes surrendered a modest 79 yards on 10 carries.
"We have to be aggressive," said Montreal linebacker Diamond Ferri, who will have the responsibility of stopping Lumsden in man coverage. "Cut the head off the snake and the snake dies. You can't hit him high; that's where his power is.
"He's going to see a lot of (number) 40. How about that? A lot."
hzurkowsky@thegazette.canwest.com
