Mark Masters
National Post

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Being compared to Michael (Pinball) Clemons is not easy for anyone. But, for Andre Durie, the 2010 Canadian Football League season is all about how much he can be like the former Toronto Argonauts player, who he grew up idolizing.

In the late 1990s, Clemons, a running back, was given a new assignment by his coaching staff: become a dual tailback and slotback. On some plays he would lineup in the traditional tailback set and others he would be in the slot and run a pass route.

The position was created as a way to keep opposing defences off-balance and Clemons had the agility to make the transition. Jim Barker, Toronto's offensive co-ordinator in 1997 and 1998, liked what he saw from Clemons and now, more than a decade later, he is back in Toronto as head coach and looking to build an offence similar to the one that tormented defences during his first tenure with the Argos.

Barker immediately identified Durie, a 5-foot-9, 193-pound tailback out of York University, as the man to become the new Clemons.

"I try not to look at it like that, because obviously those are some hard shoes to fill," Durie said. "I try to look at it as a learning process. I grow and adapt every game. I try not to put any added pressure on myself when it's not needed."

When Durie, in his fourth season with Toronto, was told about his new role he reached out to Clemons for advice.

"He's the entrepreneur of the position, so getting tips from him was real key in terms of how I approached the position," Durie said. "And just listening to what he had to tell me was great in setting me up for what I needed to learn."

Toronto is the only team in the CFL that employs the slot-back-tailback position on a consistent basis.

Clemons said he initially was worried how the 29-year-old Durie, who played mostly on special teams last season, would adjust to the new role, which requires him to learn to be a receiver.

"I had trouble getting into that offence the first few weeks of the season and it was a real challenge," Clemons said. "The ultimate frustration was probably after the second or third game when we were playing Hamilton and lost, and I wasn't very involved in the game. I didn't know how I could make an impact ... It was very frustrating."

Based on the trouble he had, Clemons is surprised by Durie's adjustment. The new Pinball has 25 catches for 298 yards this season, including his first career touchdown reception in a win over Montreal last month. He has also carried the ball six times for 44 yards.

"He has caught on so fast that it's almost unbelievable," said Clemons. "He was used so sparingly last year [two catches in 18 games] and when you look at where he is now ... he's just going to get better and better and has a tremendous upside."

Considering Durie is playing with a rookie quarterback, Cleo Lemon, and a largely untested receiving corps, his numbers are all the more impressive.

"He's so explosive when the ball gets in his hands," Clemons said. "When you catch the ball in the open field, it's a different feeling at first because you don't have big [linemen] to run around first and it's a little bit odd having that much space.

"I think as Andre gets more comfortable with the amount of space he has, he will become more dangerous. There have been some plays where he's gotten four or five yards after the catch and I think once we get deep into the second half of this season, he'll turn those gains into 15-and 20-yard plays."

Durie is not the type to pat himself on the back. His road to this point has ensured he never takes anything for granted.

While at York, he suffered a serious knee injury that almost ended his football career. Two years ago, he suffered a hand injury in the pre-season and missed half the year.

Durie, a father of two, dedicates much of his time away from the field to community-service work. With his increased role in the Argos offence, Durie said the amount of time he has to give to volunteer causes has been reduced to "just four days a week."

"It's something I can never let go of," he said. "I've grown up in this community for my whole life, so to be able to keep working in it and helping people is amazing."

"Some people have a genuine humility and that is who Andre is," said Clemons, who coached Durie during his rookie season in 2007. "The way he carries himself, how he treats people ... he is one of those guys who has the rare ability to lead without saying a word."