Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Taylor Loffler was here in this situation, under the same microscope and with his football future yet to be determined, just a couple of springs ago.
Before the Winnipeg Blue Bombers safety was a two-time Canadian Football League All-Star, he was a Boise State transfer to UBC with red flags about his injury history and questions about how his game would translate to the pro level.
And now, as the CFL’s top prospects wrapped up this weekend’s National Scouting Combine at the RBC Convention Centre and University of Winnipeg RecPlex, Loffler’s rapid transformation from a late second-round draft pick into a feared defender seems all that much more remarkable.
Remember, as a rookie he didn’t start until Week 6, but by season’s end had become just the fourth player in league history to have gone straight from a CIS/U SPORTS program – along with Paul Bennett (1977, Toronto, from Wilfrid Laurier), Joe Poplawski (1978, Winnipeg, from Alberta), Laurent Deslauriers (1984, Edmonton, from UBC) – to the All-Star team.
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Taylor Loffler tallied 75 tackles in his second season in Winnipeg in 2017 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
He repeated as a CFL All-Star last season, leaving everyone to wonder what his next step might possibly look like.
“You can never be satisfied with where you’re at,” said Loffler in a chat with BlueBombers.com during Mark’s CFL Week. “I’m going to go out and try and get more interceptions, more tackles and do everything I can to help the team win. It’s nice being named an all-star two years in a row, but maybe I can chase the top Canadian. There’s always something to have as a goal.
“I just want to be better overall. I want to be feared. I want to let them hear my footsteps.”
That part, he’s already got nailed. There isn’t a more physical safety in the CFL than Loffler, or perhaps, one that is as much a student of the position. Loffler earned his first start in his rookie season not solely because Macho Harris – the starter at the time – was injured, but because he was ready. The Bombers drafted him because of his maturity and that characteristic had revealed itself just days into rookie camp.
And so it grates on Loffler when the Bombers defence suffers break downs or those dreaded explosion plays that pockmarked their 2017 season, and when the fingers of blame get pointed at defensive coordinator Richie Hall.
“Consistency. That’s the biggest thing for us,” he said. “We had blown coverages… that has to be not only minimized, but completely taken away. We had way too much of that last year. I don’t know if that’s going to take being in the film room more or more being in the playbook, but it needs to change. But last year we’d have busts and lose a game and then there were other games where the defence would be the difference in the game and there wouldn’t be any busts.
Heading into his third season in the Blue and Gold, Loffler is hoping to build on his already impressive resume (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
“People can point all the fingers (at coaches) all they want, but it really just comes down to us. You’ve got to know your stuff. You’ve got to make sure you know your playbook and you watch film. When guys aren’t doing that and we have busts, it’s frustrating. You can’t point a finger at a coach for that.”
The ink on Loffler’s arms reveal some of his passion for football and life. On the inside of one bicep reads the word ‘Dedication’ and on the other is ‘Belief.’
“You’ve got to have belief in yourself and be dedicated,” he said. “Those are two words that mean a lot to me.”
His left arm features images of an elk, a fish and a duck, an arrowhead, feather and compass. An active outdoorsman, the next phase of the tattoo will feature a world map, mountains, a stream and a lake with him and his grandfather fishing.
Those are the images Loffler hopes opposition running backs and receivers will have a good view of this season as he wraps them up and brings them to the turf.
“I really like the guys we’ve signed back and then some of the additions we made on defence for this year,” said Loffler “Everyone is going to focus on offence, but I feel like our defence is going to be stronger than last year. This is the year for the push.”
