TORONTO — Tyrell Richards has a lot riding on the 2022 CFL combine.
There certainly will be the weight of expectation on the former Syracuse linebacker, who was No. 4 in the CFL Scouting Bureau's January list of the top-20 prospects for the 2022 draft, which will be held May 3. But Richards is also anxious to prove he's a blue-chip prospect despite not playing football in 2021.
The six-foot-three, 230-pound Brampton, Ont., resident went into the NCAA transfer portal after the 2020 season when he accumulated a career-high 24 tackles (3.5 for a loss) and two sacks in eight games (three starts) for Syracuse. But while Richards had offers from other schools, he hadn't accumulated enough transferable credits to make the move.
Richards considered enrolling into a junior college before opting to spend 2021 training "for any opportunity that presented itself.'' Richards registered 54 tackles (9.5 for a loss) and six sacks in 31 career games at Syracuse.
Predictably, Richards will audition before CFL officials with something to prove.
"I kind of have to because many guys have film from last year," Richards said. "They have stats and have proven themselves in their last season … so I've got to do everything I can this weekend.
"I'm going to let it fly. This is a job interview so I have to go out there and be 100 per cent."
Also performing this weekend will be prospects for the CFL Global draft, which goes May 3.
Drew Allemang, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats assistant GM and director of Canadian scouting, said while the combine is an important evaluation tool, it's not something that necessarily makes or breaks a player's potential.
"We put enough weight on anyone's test results but it's not everything," Allemang told reporters during a CFL video conference. "It's important they hit within a certain range at each position but we've all seen the best players sometimes don't test the best.
"We'll weigh it but it's not like (Richards) has to come in and be the top tester. We do have a number of games to watch from him (from 2020) and they played later into November (so) it's fairly recent film. But it will be good to see him here competing with everyone else."
Not playing in 2021 wasn't ideal, but Richards has no regrets about entering the portal.
"Everything is a learning experience and happens for a reason, I believe that," Richards said. "It's just about staying ready for opportunities."
Combine participants will be put through the traditional football testing (vertical and broad jumps, bench press, three-cone, shuttle 40-yard dash and positional drills). There will also be one-on-one competitions in addition to interviews with team officials.
Richards wants his ability to do the talking on the field but is looking forward to giving CFL officials a chance to get to know him personally.
"I want to show them someone who's humble and ready to work," Richards said. "Someone who doesn't really care what others say, someone who wants to work but also help the community.
"It's going to fun to put the pads back on, finally, and play football."
Richards is giving back, as a coach at Clarkson Secondary School in Mississauga, Ont., where he played under head coach Larry Jusdanis, a former CFL quarterback. However, Richards, 23, feels he's more than ready to play the game professionally.
"It's what I've dreamt of since I was a kid," he said. "So now, with it being right in front of me it's just about grabbing the bull by the horns and getting out there.
"I just want to go somewhere that wants me as much as I want to be there so I can prove myself … and not have to worry about anything besides playing."
Richards won't be the only top-ranked prospect being put through his paces. Eight of the top-10 players on the winter list are scheduled to attend, with Penn State linebacker Jesse Luketa (No. 1) and Coastal Carolina defensive back Enock Makonzo being the lone absentees.
Twins Jalen and Tyson Philpot (Calgary Dinos receivers who're ranked No. 2 and No. 5, respectively) will attend. Jalen Philpot was a first-team All-Canadian last year with 35 catches for 715 yards (20.4-yard average) and three TDs, while Tyson Philpot was also an All-Canadian and Canada West's top player with 41 receptions for 746 yards and nine TDs (most in Canadian university football).
Waterloo Warriors twins Tre and Tyrell Ford (No. 6 and No. 9, respectively) are also expected to attend. Quarterback Tre Ford captured the '21 Hec Crighton Trophy as Canadian university football's outstanding player while defensive back Tyrell Ford was a first-team OUA all-star and second-team All-Canadian last season.
The Fords are also sprinters on Waterloo's track team and both showed plenty of speed last week at the University of Buffalo's pro day. Tyrell Ford posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.44 seconds, just ahead of his brother (4.45 seconds).
Tre Ford's time is noteworthy as the fastest quarterback at this year's NFL combine was Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder (4.52 seconds).
Tyrell Ford also recorded 17 reps in the bench press (225 pounds), a 36.5-inch vertical leap and 10 feet six inches in the broad jump. Tre Ford posted a 36-inch vertical and broad jump of 10 feet five inches.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2022.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
