Gryphons at the CFL Combine
AJ Allen thought he had a clear idea of what to expect when he went to the CFL’s Ontario Regional Combine in Toronto last month. The fourth-year Guelph Gryphons linebacker from Burlington, ON figured he was in for cut-throat, savage environment, where the rule “survival of the fittest” was sure to apply.
It was competitive, for sure. But the brotherhood among young, ambitious football players trying to forge a path to the next level was the characteristic most apparent.
“When I actually got there, it was just a bunch of great football players happy that they got the opportunity, me included,” says Allen.
The talented linebacker was one of four Gryphons in attendance for the Regional Combine held at the University of Toronto on March 12. Allen was joined by his position mate Alex Jafs, and wide receivers Kian Schaffer-Baker and Jordan Terrio. All of them hoped that a great performance on the field that day would garner an invite to the National Combine, though that event, in addition to the Eastern Regional in Montreal and the Western Regional in Edmonton, were all cancelled after the coronavirus forced the essential shutdown of the country.
Still, the Ontario Regional was a day to remember for the Gryphon quartet. They all performed well and represented the program and the University of Guelph with pride.
Terrio went to the Combine with a lot on his mind. In the fall, he lost his younger sister Jazmin, who had been suffering for the entirety of her short life with a neurological disorder.
“She is definitely an inspiration,” Terrio says. “I know she’s watching me and that was a great motivation at the Combine.”
Just like he has throughout his career, the young receiver from Niagara Falls persevered. He wasn’t intimidated by the environment, thanks in part to the advice of teammates who had been through it before and offered tips. Terrio put the advice to good use and posted excellent numbers, finishing with the fourth-fastest time in the 40 (4.62 seconds), fourth in the vertical jump (36 inches), and tied for the eighth-best time in the 3-cone drill (7.09 seconds).
“This was something I’d been thinking about for years and with my brothers with me, I just focused on being the best I could be,” he says. “I felt like I did a solid job. I felt like I could’ve done better in a few areas but I didn’t dwell on it and just kept moving.
“I would say the 1v1s were the best part of my Combine. And I would love to do the shuttle and 40 over again.”
Terrio’s position mate Schaffer-Baker had a standout performance on the day, despite competing with a tweaked hamstring. In a pre-Combine article on cfl.ca, the Mississauga, ON native was identified as one of the Top 5 Players to Watch at the Ontario Regional. Schaffer-Baker certainly lived up to the hype, posting the top vertical jump (40 inches), the second-best broad jump (10 feet, 7.5 inches, just one inch off the best result from East Carolina linebacker Jordan Williams), the fourth-best time in the 3-cone (7.01 seconds), and the fourth-best shuttle time (4.40 seconds). He also dazzled in the one-on-one drills.
Schaffer-Baker’s numbers were no surprise. He began prepping for the Regional Combine shortly after the Gryphons’ season ended last November.
“The day after Guelph’s last game, he messaged me,” says his trainer Shea Pierre, who was the Gryphon strength and conditioning coach a couple seasons ago.
The pair have been working together since Schaffer-Baker was in grade 9 and they began Combine prep in mid December, documenting the journey on YouTube in a couple episodes titled Path to the Draft. Pierre and Schaffer-Baker developed a demanding two-a-day workout schedule for five days a week, in addition to a meal plan that got the receiver down to 3.8 per cent body fat. They also enlisted the help of former CFL MVP and Grey Cup winner Chad Owens to help with position-specific details, like a waggle, proper alignment, and after-catch skills to increase Schaffer-Baker’s chances of performing well on Combine day.
They had a tough decision off the bat. The 40-yard dash was the first event and though Schaffer-Baker wanted to run it, Pierre suggested that if he got hurt, it would limit him the rest of the day. So they passed, which was ultimately the right move.
“He absolutely destroyed the one-on-ones,” says Pierre. “I told him, ‘Your greatest asset is catching the ball and the athleticism that you have, going up at the high point and shaking people off the line.’ He showed that, especially the things he had worked on with Chad.
“Nobody wanted to guard him. You could tell the confidence he had. Even with a bum hamstring, he was coming off the line nice and strong. They couldn’t keep up with him.”
It was a memorable day for not only Schaffer-Baker but all four of the Gryphons. Allen will recall the day fondly, noting how positive the environment was. The veteran D-player says it was obvious the athletes were controlling what they could, hyping each other after victories, and helping each other after a perceived misstep.
He adds that he wasn’t personally satisfied despite posting the sixth-fastest 40 time at 4.70 seconds and excellent efforts in events like the bench press and 3-cone. That’s just the way Allen is, always expecting more from himself.
To be fair, like Schaffer-Baker and his hamstring, he had a bit of an impediment. Allen admittedly doesn’t see well without his glasses, or as he puts it more succinctly, “I am blind.” Despite purposely preparing his contact glasses in a case with his name on them, he managed to forget them for the trip to Toronto.
“I asked my roommate to bring them for me,” Allen says. “He instead decided to freelance. He ended up bring me two contacts for the same eye.
“I did the whole Combine with one contact from this year and another from two years ago, both for my left eye.”
Written By: David Dicenzo