Quick CIS football note: Andre Durie, the one-time scintillating scatback for the York Lions, ran a pretty "pedestrian" 40-yard dash (the Toronto Star's word) during the CFL scouting combine last weekend as he continues his slow road back from the thermonuclear leg injury he suffered 18 months ago.
In 2004, Durie was kind of defined by his relationship to Jesse Lumsden, who was setting rushing and scoring records at McMaster. Lumsden was playing for a top-ranked, high-profile team while Durie was playing for perennially also-ran, nondescript York, but some people thought he was just as dazzling, gaining 1,367 yards behind average blocking. I remember asking someone who'd seen him go off for 200-odd yards what he'd do with the blocking Lumsden had Mac, and he said it would have ruined Durie, since he was such an improv artist, it was almost like he needed that kind of environment to thrive.
Durie was even garnering interest from the NFL before he injured his knee in a game against the Queen's Golden Gaels in Kingston in September 2005.
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In 1990, the New York Jets passed on Emmitt Smith because his 40 yard dash time of 4.6 was "too slow". Instead, they selected the immortal Blair Thomas, who had the nice 4.4 time scouts love.
Just sayin'...
True... Durie's game, though, is all about the quick cuts he can make at the L.O.S., how well he can dodge, dip, duck, dive and... dodge. If he has to step carefully, he won't be able to play at the CFL. It's a damn shame since with the exception of Eric Lapointe, he was the best "freak runner" in the CIS over past 12-15 years or so.
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