2020 Starts Today

At last, we can officially put the 2019 REDBLACKS season behind us.

The team wasted no time in starting preparations for 2020 with a couple of signings today.

The most interesting is that of James Tyrrell, a receiver from Concordia. I believe he was draft eligible this past spring but not chosen. Here's a snipped article from the Stingers from his final game. It was uncredited.

Stinger football fans witnessed the end of an era when quarterback Adam Vance and wide receiver James Tyrrell walked off the field for the last time at Concordia Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

The graduating seniors, who will go down as one of all-time great quarterback-receiver tandems, cemented their place in Concordia history with another strong outing in a tough 23-17 loss to McGill University before a boisterous crowd of 2207. 

Vance completed 24 of 42 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Tyrrell caught four passes for 75 yards.... 

...

Tyrrell wraps up his season with 52 receptions for 779 yards and two touchdowns. He is first in the RSEQ in receptions, yards and average yards per game with 97.4. 

The Concordia record for most receptions in a single season belongs to Daniel Skube who caught 60 passes in 2015. Tyrrell is in a three-way tie for second place with Cory Watson (2009), currently with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and Stinger Vince Alessandrini (2016). 

With 779 yards receiving, Tyrrell trails only Watson for the all-time Stinger record. The current CFL star had 821 yards in 2009.

Tyrrell was named a first-team All-Canadian last week.

The team also signed Tanner Secord, a 6' 03" / 305 offensive lineman from the Saskatchewan Huskies, also a 5th year player. 

They have brought back Nathaniel Hamelin, a former Carleton Raven and a fourth-round pick by BC in 2017, and apparently are open to bringing back Gabe Polan as well. Polan was the team's third round choice in 2019 draft out of Sherbrooke but he bailed only a day or two into training camp, apparently overwhelmed by the experience.

I'm not sure if Polan is truly returning or if adding him to the active roster is simply accounting by the team to release his rights because I struggle to find evidence that Polan played in 2019. Regardless, it's good to see that the team is wasting no time in turning the page on this miserable season.