The Canadian Press
Ask James Wilder Jr. to explain what he did to become a threat in the second half of the season and he’ll immediately shift the focus to the five men in the trenches in front of him.
“I always get all of the credit! Like you said, ‘James, you emerged, you emerged, you emerged.’ But for fans or anybody who watches film, anybody could score,” Wilder laughed, sitting at a table during Media Day at Mark’s CFL Week.
“I’m not doing anything extra, that’s how good the (offensive) line is. I know it sounds cliché to say that but I challenge anybody to go look at film, I’m never touched by a D-lineman. I just have to run straight.”
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Wilder invites up the entire Argonauts offensive line group to accept his Most Outstanding Rookie award (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)
Wilder started the first 12 games of his rookie season playing mostly on special teams, waiting in the wings behind veteran running back Brandon Whitaker for his chance to carry the rock. While he wasn’t a starter, the 25-year-old would still get a few touches each contest, totalling 39 carries for 173 yards.
“I was playing running back, but maybe one carry a game,” he said, explaining his role during the first half of the year. “It was a little frustrating. It was a roller coaster. I would talk to (head coach Marc Trestman) Trest (and ask), ‘is there anything more I can do?’ He’d just (say), ‘stay patient. Just stay patient.’ He was like, ‘you know how this game is.’”
Earning a spot on a Canadian Football League roster can sometimes take time. Seasons may go by and a player still may not have a starting spot on the team. However, occasionally an opportunity to step in may occur.
And that’s exactly what happened to Wilder.
In Week 14 against the Edmonton Eskimos, Wilder hit the turf at BMO Field, filling in for an injured Whitaker.
That night, in his first start, he led the Argonauts in both receiving and rushing, tallying 257 total yards and a major score. With his 190 yards on the ground, he became the first Argonaut to finish with more than 150 rushing yards in a game since 2010.
Wilder will be the first one to mention that it was new offensive line coach Jonathan Himebauch who set the wheels in motion for him to having the best game of his young CFL career. It was, after all, Himebauch’s first game as offensive line coach.
Before Himebauch joined the team, the Argos were averaging 65.4 rushing yards per game. And by season’s end? That number jumped up to 90.2.
“If Brandon Whitaker had that game plan that I had, it would have been the same thing,” Wilder Jr. said. “I always get credit for it but you never get to hear coach Himey or the O-line get credit. Every chance I get, I try to give a lot to them because they have a lot to do with it too. I mean, I break tackles, I’m not just like a sorry running back but it’s more than just me, it’s all of us together.”
Wilder carries the ball during his first start against Edmonton (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Wilder finished 2017 with 872 yards on 122 carries while also scoring five touchdowns. His average of 7.1 yards per carry was the most among starting running backs by season’s end. He also showed his versatility out of the backfield, adding 51 catches for 533 yards, including a team-high 467 yards after the catch.
That performance helped the Tampa, Florida native to win Most Outstanding Rookie. And when he was called to the stage at the Shaw CFL Awards during Grey Cup Week to accept his award, he still wouldn’t take full credit for his accomplishments.
Wilder brought his entire offensive line group up onto the stage with him, dedicating the award to all of them.
“They always say, ‘I’m the rookie of the year,’ (or) ‘the quarterback, he’s the best.’” he said. “But who protects them? I can’t let it go unnoticed. If I was ever to win an award, they’re going to always come up with me (on the stage) for awards. They just don’t get enough credit.”
During the off-season while Wilder was deciding if he was going to return to the Canadian Football League, his offensive line made sure to reach out and show their support, proving to the running back that their bond extends beyond the field.
“Those are like my brothers,” he said. “Off-season we’re all keeping in touch. The whole situation I had during the off-season, they just said, ‘we’re behind you.’ This is when we became more than teammates.
“We just kind of became a family. It’s awesome. From veterans, like (Chris) Van Zeyl, who’s done it for a lot of years, all the way down to rookies. We just built that family bond.”
