For June Jones, passing is more than a fad.
And of all the quarterbacks he has coached — Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, Jeff George, Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan among them — a controversial backup has earned comparative praise from Jones.
Jones, a former University of Hawaii head coach and quarterback, said 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is “an interesting guy. He’s a leader. He sees down the field in the game. He’s very competitive. … He can throw. He can throw as good as all the guys I’ve had.”
The first test is today in Calgary when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats open their 2018 Canadian Football League season. Jones is beginning his first full season as the Tiger-Cats’ head coach. Manziel is the backup to quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, a Saint Louis School graduate.
This will be Manziel’s first time in a game-day uniform since the second of two disappointing years with the Cleveland Browns, a tenure marked with off-field controversies. The Browns released their former No. 1 pick at the end of the 2015 season.
CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE
>> Who: Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Calgary Stampeders
>> When/Where: 1 p.m., today at McMahon Stadium in Calgary
>> TV: ESPN2
The Tiger-Cats were awarded the CFL’s negotiation rights to Manziel last year and he signed with the team last month.
Jones said Manziel has been a good fit through training camp and the Tiger-Cats’ two preseason games. “He’s very coachable,” Jones said. “He’s a good teammate. He’s smart. There are a lot of good things about him. He was a No. 1 pick for a reason. … But it’s going to take a little time to get plugged into what we’re doing. We’ll see how that goes.”
Jones has implemented a run-and-shoot offense that is rooted in a system he ran as a CFL player (Toronto in 1982) and offensive coordinator (Ottawa in 1986). The offense makes use of the CFL’s wider field, progressive rules (receivers are permitted a pre-snap running start) and 12th player to a side.
But Jones said player development is restricted because of the smaller roster (46 players compared to an NFL team’s 53).
“The rosters are so small,” Jones said. “That’s the hardest thing. You don’t have depth at any position. You just hold on to your rear end and hope you don’t get anybody hurt.”
The CFL also has a no-pad rule for practices. That forces many of the drills to be run at less than full speed. Jones said many of the Canadian players are hindered because of the practice restrictions.
“The Canadian schools are not quite at the level as the U.S. schools,” Jones said.
Defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, who also worked with Jones at UH and in the NFL, has resurrected a favorite teaching tool.
“The big bag is back,” said Glanville, referring to the oversized bag used in tackling drills. With the two big bags left in Manoa following Glanville’s UH stint in 2006, Jones said, “We bought a new one.”
Jones was hired as an assistant coach following the Tiger-Cats’ fifth game — all losses — of the 2017 season. When he was promoted to head coach Aug. 24, the Tiger-Cats were 0-8. But under Jones, the Tiger-Cats went 6-4 in their final 10 games. In addition to Glanville, other former UH coaches on the Hamilton staff are Dan Morrison (quarterbacks) and Dennis McKnight (offensive line).
“This has been a really fun deal,” Jones said.
