The Canadian Press
Mercer Timmis knows what it feels like to stand on the sidelines at Tim Horton’s Field before kickoff and to glance up into the stands, where his parents occupy their season seats.
Friday’s game against Winnipeg won’t be the first time he’s played a home opener in front of his friends and family, but this one will be a little different.
For the first time in his three-year career, Timmis has a significant role in the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ offence. He ran for a career-best 133 yards last week in Edmonton against the Eskimos, including a game-breaking 44-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. With 153 yards he’s second in the league in rushing.
The 24-year-old from Burlington, Ont. wasn’t a secret to Ticats coach June Jones, or his teammates, but on the heels of his strong game in Edmonton, he’s got a lot of fresh eyes on him across the country.
He said the past week has been full of support from the people that have been in his corner the longest.
“A lot of support, a lot of texts, a lot of people supporting me and telling me they’re proud of me,” Timmis said on Thursday, while Ticats linebacker Simoni Lawrence shouted “Timmis for Prime Minister!” overtop of him.
“It’s nice knowing you have so many people in your corner. But you kind of put it behind you and it’s a new week, a new opponent. Winnipeg has a good defence and we have to get ready for them.”
“I know his background in college. He was a baller and I’ve seen it all the time in practice.”
Ticats QB Jeremiah Masoli on Timmis
Timmis’ journey to his third season hasn’t been a simple one. The 14th overall pick in the 2016 draft, the former University of Calgary Dino lost time in rookie season to a concussion. He felt like he had started to find a niche with the Ticats last year, getting the odd carry and playing on special teams, when he broke his leg playing against the Argos on Sept. 4.
“That one was tough,” he said of the broken leg, “just because I was finally playing running back last year and it was one of those things, you can’t really control that. As soon as it happened, my mindset was to come back. Come back better, come back faster and come back stronger.”
He was all of those things in Edmonton. His touchdown run turned a 10-point Ticats lead into 16. Timmis looked like he was in fast-forward as he exploded through the heart of the Esks’ defence and into the end zone.
“It’s not surprising at all for me,” Ticats QB Jeremiah Masoli said of Timmis.
“I know his background in college. He was a baller and I’ve seen it all the time in practice. In the game, it wasn’t a big surprise. Our linemen did a great job opening up the holes and he did what he was supposed to do.”
Timmis is focused on doing it again. He’s enjoyed hearing his name mentioned with other great Canadian running backs like Andrew Harris and Jerome Messam — Timmis and Messam are the only Canadian backs to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Jon Cornish retired — but he wants to be more than a one-off statistical anomaly.
“Those guys are amazing backs,” he said. “But that was just one game. I have a lot of work to do. So we’ll see.”
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Mercer Timmis’ two touchdowns helped the Ticats salvage a split in Alberta (Walter Tychnowicz/CFL.ca)
Before he zeroes in on getting back to work for another week, Timmis will take a moment on Friday night to look up to the stands for his parents and some friends. There will be a little more excitement in that part of the building at kickoff, knowing that Timmis should factor into things more than he did a year ago.
“When they get to see me play a little running back, they’re always excited, for sure,” he said.
It’s a dream come true, a kid from Burlington in Ticats’ black and gold, but Timmis doesn’t want to make a big deal about it.
“I don’t give waves. I’m not a waver,” he said of acknowledging his parents in the stands. “Maybe a head nod, something like that. I’m pretty low key about that stuff.”
