Arden Zwelling
CFL.ca
Growing up in Niagara Falls and spending his college days in London – two of Southwestern Ontario’s snowiest locales – John Surla is more than used to the dreaded white stuff that blankets the province this time of year.
He’s used to shoveling it, to clearing it off cars and to trudging through piles of it whenever he wants to get anywhere.
So it clearly didn’t take much convincing for Surla to abandon the wintry abyss of London – currently enduring its snowiest winter on record – for greener pastures in sunny Bradenton Florida where he’s been living since early January.
But despite the average daily temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, the trip hasn’t been all sun tanning and excursions to the beach for Surla, the 5-11, 231-pound linebacker from the University of Western Ontario.
It’s actually mostly eating, sleeping, schoolwork and two-a-day training sessions at Athletic Edge Sports in preparation for March’s CFL Evaluation Camp in Toronto.
“I’ve been talking to my parents and some teammates back at school and they’re telling me about these crazy amounts of snow. It’s hard to imagine,” the fourth-year social sciences major said from Florida. “I know it’s weird to say this, but I kind of miss it. I forget what it feels like to put on a coat.”
Fear not, Surla will soon get his wish to be reminded of the absurdity that is a winter in Canada when his two-month stint in Florida expires on the 26th of February.
It will mark the end of two straight months working specifically on combine-specific skills like the 40-yard dash, the short shuttle and the bench press.
Surla has always demonstrated a high talent level and exceptional head for the game on the field. But his testing numbers off of it have consistently disappointed.
That’s why when Surla signed with popular CFL agent Darren Gill last year, the first order of business was getting Surla an extended vacation at a combine-specific training facility.
Enter Athletic Edge Sports which boasts a litany of CFL clients including Ken Dorsey, Andre Durie and last year’s first overall draft pick Shomari Williams.
Currently, the facility is housing several NCAA players who are preparing for the NFL’s draft combine, meaning Surla has been rubbing shoulders with some elite company.
And, of course, everyone remembers Shomari.
“They’ll be trying to pump me up while I’m training and they’ll go ‘yo, Shomari would have done this easily!’” Surla said. “It’s good because I’m training with such good athletes down here. They set the bar really high and it’s up to me to keep up with them. They push me every day to get better.”
Improving his testing results might be the last piece of the puzzle for Surla who certainly has the on-field numbers to make a convincing argument for a shot in the CFL.
The 22-year-old has led the Mustangs over his four-year career with 182 tackles in 32 regular season games, finishing in the top ten among OUA defenders every season.
He brought home the 2009 President’s Trophy as the top defensive player in the OUA after a standout season with 52 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions in eight regular season games.
But despite his consistently impressive numbers, ask Surla about it and he’ll tell you he didn’t do anything special – it’s everyone around him that makes him look so good.
“The credit goes to my coaching staff and my teammates. Coming from Western and the great program that we have, it’s like I’ve been preparing for the E-Camp for four years, not just two months,” Surla said.
Maybe more than anyone else at Western, it was Mustangs assistant coach Mickey Donovan who had the most profound effect on Surla’s career.
It was on September 8, 2007 against the McMaster Marauders, when Donovan was the Mustangs linebackers coach, that he sent Surla onto the field in just his second career OUA game.
The then 19-year-old took his coach’s confidence in stride, making a big interception, forcing a fumble and sending a statement to the rest of the OUA that John Surla had arrived.
“I can honestly say I wouldn’t be in the position I am today if it wasn’t for [Donovan]. He believed in me from day one. He gave me the opportunity and the rest is history,” Surla said. “The things that he taught me not only on the field but off of it have made a huge, huge difference.”
Of course, putting up good testing numbers is only half the battle at E-Camp. There’s still the matter of the on-field drills and the dreaded team interviews that can last anywhere from five to 45 minutes and include some very frank discussions of a player’s makeup both physically and mentally.
It’s one of the most intimidating and invasive elements of E-Camp, but Surla thinks he’s more than prepared for it.
Over his years at Western Surla has quickly taken over the role of unofficial spokesperson for the Mustangs defence, dishing out praise to his teammates following victories and answering the tough questions after a loss.
It’s a role that came naturally to the smooth-talking Surla whose demeanor is remarkably steady during good times and bad.
“The interview portion you really can’t prepare for. You can’t sit there and ask yourself questions in a mirror and be prepared. It’s something that either you have or you don’t,” Surla said. “Being at Western and having the opportunity to talk to the media has really made me more comfortable interacting with people and taking different questions.”
While he’s been talking about mostly wins at Western – the school is 24-8 since Surla’s arrival and has appeared in the last four Yates Cups, winning three of them – Surla has faced his fair share of heartbreaking losses as well.
He was there when the Mustangs fell to the Queen’s Gaels 43-39 in the thrilling 2009 Yates Cup and when the team came just two points shy of upsetting the eventual Vanier Cup champion Laval Rouge et Or this past year in the Uteck Bowl.
“When we experienced the Yates Cup against Queen’s in 2009 we got that feeling of what it was like to lose – we really came together from that,” Surla said of the Mustangs defence which was second-best in the nation this year.
That Mustangs defence has been a cornerstone of the perennial Yates Cup favourite, and Surla has benefited from playing alongside several talented defenders who have graduated to the pro ranks.
Defensive lineman Vaughn Martin played at Western for two years before he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers of the NFL. Chris Greaves, another Mustangs defensive lineman, was drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last year and was converted into an offensive lineman.
Not to mention CFL draft picks Conor Elliot and Jason Kosec who lined up on either side of Surla in the Mustangs linebacking corps last season.
It’s given Surla, a student of the game if there ever was one, plenty of examples to follow and plenty of wisdom to consume.
Opportunities that were far from lost on the Mustangs’ starting middle linebacker.
“The biggest thing I learned from those guys is the sky’s the limit,” Surla said, citing the naysayers that doubted Martin could play in the NFL and those that thought Graves couldn’t make the switch from defensive to offensive line.
“Those guys were given different opportunities and they adapted to it and made the best of it and look where they are now. I look at that and it inspires me.”
