If Brandon Deschamps could change one thing about the way they play football in his hometown of Prince George, he'd have the kids playing under Canadian rules.
Having just gone through his first pro camp last month, in which he made it as far as the final round of cuts in his tryout with the B.C. Lions, the 22-year-old running back says kids in B.C. should be learning the three-down game, with its rouge and no-yards rules - not the four-down American-style game he was forced to switch to in his last year at Kelly Road secondary school.
"I never understood why they did that, it baffles me, I grew up playing the Canadian game and I always liked it better," said Deschamps, who plans to return as the starting running back for the UBC Thunderbirds for his final season of CIS eligibility.
"All the junior teams and all the CIS teams (play three-down football). I think it was to give guys an opportunity to go to the States but I don't think that's the best thing. Most of the good opportunities, especially for guys up north, are in Canada. It's tough enough to get exposure to Canadian teams, let alone NCAA teams.
"I think it would be way better if Prince George and B.C. high schools played Canadian rules - B.C. is the only province in Canada that plays American rules. It's just better for people to not have to make that transition."
Deschamps is the first Prince George-born football player to attend a CFL camp since Remi Trudel played in the league as a safety for the Lions and Ottawa Roughriders (1990-96). Before Trudel, Winnipeg Blue Bombers fullback Matt Pearce (1989-95), was the only other P.G. native to play football professionally.
Deschamps wasn't taken in the CFL draft but the Lions made it clear they wanted him to come to their camp in Kamloops to test him out as a fullback, a position he hadn't played since his Grade 10 season.
The six-foot, 220-pound Deschamps traveled with the team to Calgary for a pre-season game against the defending Grey Cup-champion Stampeders and while he wasn't handed the ball, he was a starter on the punt return team as a blocking back on punting and got involved in kickoff returns. He also suited up for the Lions' home pre-season game at B.C. Place Stadium against Edmonton but was limited to two plays.
"It was really good to see how pros go about football and how they take the responsibility into their own hands and all the things you need to do to not only be a good athlete but be a good football player," said Deschamps. "The technique and understanding of the game is at a much higher level and it was really good to take away the way guys work and the things you need to get better at. You get a better understanding of what you should do in given situations, even if it's a little thing like hand placement, which is really important."
Even in practice, Deschamps said most of the plays were geared to the Lions' starters and he said it was tough to make an impression with his limited repetitions on the field.
"It was a dream and one that I hope I get to try again," he said. "I'm super-happy and proud I was able to do that."
After red-shirting his first university season, Deschamps returned to UBC in 2012 and as a rookie led the CIS in rushing with 785 yards. In 2013 he rushed for 1,007 yards (second in the CIS) in just seven games, averaging 143.9 yards per carry with no fumbles. His single-season yardage total ranks as the fifth highest in UBC history. The T-birds finished last in their conference in 2014 and Deschamps was limited to 463 yards in eight games.
Now, as one of the older veterans at UBC, Deschamps will be able to utilize his experience working out with the pros. He knows the CIS and has a better idea of what it takes to get to the next level.
"I assume I'll be one of the guys who will be looked to when things get tough," said Deschamps, a philosophy graduate. "The way it works with every football team is there will be some point where things won't go right and that's when you need guys like me and some of the older guys on the team to step up and be leaders.
"I'm getting excited about going back to training camp again under a new coach."
He'll be taking instruction from Blake Nill, one of the most successful head coaches in CIS history, who left the Calgary Dinos after nine seasons to join UBC in January. Nill led the Dinos to a record six-straight Canada West Conference Hardy Cup championships and three Vanier Cup appearances, after an eight-year stint with St. Mary's University which included two CIS championships. In 17 CIS seasons he has a 130-47 record.
"He's a proven coach who can build a program so it's a real exciting time for UBC football and very special to be part of the beginning of that," said Deschamps. "But I don't have enough time to be thinking about the next five years at UBC, I'm excited to win this season and I think we'll be competitive.
"We're young but coach Nill has brought in a ton of new recruits, I think it was ranked as the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation this year."
T-Birds camp starts Aug. 15 and they open the season in Calgary Sept. 4.
