Rick Zazulak/McMaster University
Danny Vandervoort did pretty much everything you possibly can at the university level as a receiver with the McMaster Marauders.
Now, with four seasons of 500-plus receiving yards, five or more touchdowns and playoff competition under his belt, Mr. McMaster is ready to take his game to the next level.
“I’m confident in my talent, and I’ve proven that I can play from the first day I stepped on a university football field,” says Vandervoort. “I came in and produced as a rookie and through all four years of university — that sets me apart from most other receivers (in the draft).”
Known for his acrobatic catches and ability to reel in jump balls (see his one-handed grab against Toronto) the Barrie, Ont. native believes he became a more well-rounded player during his time at McMaster — specifically last season under new head coach Greg Knox.
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“Like any high-school kid I was a little raw when I came in,” explains Vandervoort, a Bear Creek S.S. alumnus. “With Coach [Stef Ptaszek], we threw the ball more — I learned how to understand routes and run the right depth — then with Coach Knox, we ran the football a lot which forced me to develop my blocking.”
For Vandervoort, like any national receiver trying to make the jump to the professional level, blocking will be critical if he is to earn snaps on special teams.
“The blocking game goes unnoticed; there’s no stats for it, and it’s much more of a personal satisfaction,” says the 6-foot-2 receiver. “You’re asked to come down hard on linebackers and such at the next level, so last season was important for me to really shore up my blocking.”
So what is the scouting report on the acrobatic receiver from Mac?
According to CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson, he has the potential to see snaps as a depth receiver.
(Note: Ferguson threw passes to Vandervoort for the first two years of the latter’s McMaster career. Another note: Ferguson is also a true pro who’s watched tape on every ranked draft prospect.)
“Danny is a guy that truly has the ability to stretch the field at both levels,” says Ferguson, now the play-by-play man for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. “Once he’s through the combine, his comparable is likely Brian Jones from last year.”
The idea of a ‘plug and play’ draft pick is simple: Teams look for players that can fit immediately into their special-teams plans, with the potential to slot into their position without missing a beat.
“In the ratio reality of the CFL, there are situations where young guys aren’t prepared to play, there’s a bunch of injuries, and then you’re forced to put them in,” explains Ferguson. “That’s when you really find out about a national guy like (Ticats DB) Mike Daly or (REDBLACKS DE) Arnaud Gascon-Nadon: When they’re thrown into the fire on regular snaps.”
Vandervoort will be participating in the 2017 CFL Combine presented by Adidas during Mark’s CFL Week in Regina at the end of March (Alistair Boulby/McMaster Sports)
A prediction on Vandervoort?
“If he’s on the field and playing well on special teams, which I expect him to be, he’ll get chances and have 10 to 15 catches and 100-plus yards,” predicts Ferguson. “He’s a much more well-rounded player than people realize, one that, a year from now, might be the prototype for what teams want in a first-year national receiver.”
Newly-minted Mac head coach Greg Knox was thrilled with Vandervoort’s development in 2016.
When Knox, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ defensive backs coach until May of last year, asked the veteran leader of his receiving corps to adjust his game, Vandervoort responded positively.
“We asked him to lead by example and then some, and he did,” reflects Knox, who had his interim tag dropped after leading the Marauders to a 6-2 record last season. “We asked him to be more involved in our blocking scheme, and he made massive improvements in that aspect of his game over the course of the season.”
He saw the same qualities in his star receiver as everybody else: Explosiveness. Ability to win 50-50s and create separation. Work ethic.
“Obviously he makes it a lot easier on our QB; we’d throw the ball up, and a high percentage of the time, even in traffic, Danny comes down with it,” laughed Knox. “His game translates well to the pro level — he’ll be asked to play special teams and I think he’s physically capable of doing that, not to mention he’s focused and wants it.”
And boy does he ever want it.
Like many other CFL prospects, Vandervoort has been putting in the work over his final off-season prior to the combine.
“The typical day is we wake up, get a good warm-up in, do testing — 40-yards, five-by-fives, broad and vert — then go to class,” says the sociology major. “Come back at 3 p.m., do a workout — upper or lower — and then some days we go to Soccer World in Hamilton and throw it around.”
The two- and three-a-day grind is nothing new to Vandervoort and other CFL Draft hopefuls.
The difference now is that where many of them were previously the stars and leaders of their college teams, they’re now grinding harder than ever in the hopes of catching on at the next level.
