This article has been submitted by Alex Jackson.
I like amateur sports. There’s something about them that gets me every time; maybe it’s the unbridled passion or the sometimes reckless abandon that players play with. The game is just different, whether its football, basketball, baseball or even hockey. I am not trying to open the debate about whether amateur sports are better than pro, or if one is more entertaining than the other, it’s just something different, something that might be more pure.
I should clarify at this point, I’m not talking about NCAA vs. the NFL or NBA; we’re talking Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Legitimate amateurs. Amateur does not mean bad; most of the players out there are quite good, maybe just not as polished or as athletically gifted as some of their American counterparts that you watch on Saturday afternoons on CBS/ABC. As someone who once played high school sports and has coached high school football, I can tell you that the CIS is a big step up.
One of my favorite activities over the past 10 years has been watching live CIS football on Saturday afternoons in the fall, first at Ottawa U and later at Queen’s. Depending on the matchup, the atmosphere can be quite lively, and fans (me) can get quite worked up.
One of my fondest CIS memories was a game from 2003. It was September 22nd, and the No. 3 ranked McMaster Marauders were squaring off against the No. 4 ranked Queen’s Golden Gaels. Not only was it a showdown of two elite teams, the game also featured two the Canada’s premier college players – Queen’s QB Tom Denison and Mac RB Jesse Lumsden. By the time each of their CIS careers were over, their names would be scattered throughout the CIS and OUA record books and between them they have 3 Hec Creighton Awards as Canada’s top player.
It was one of the liveliest non-Homecoming games I have ever been to. The majority of the 6,337 fans in attendance were on their feet throughout the game. Two of the prime targets were Mac CB Kwame Aidoo and Lumsden. Chants such as “Kojo’s better”-directed at Aidoo, whose older brother Kojo won a Hec a few seasons earlier – and “Jesse, you’ll never be better than your dad” – in reference to Lumsden’s father Neil who was a standout fullback in the CIS and CFL. There were several that were much catchier, and also far more offensive, but this is a family site (editor’s note: huh???).
The game lived up to its potential. Tied at 20, with under a minute to go, Denison found Craig Spears on a 99-yard pass-and-run touchdown play that gave Queen’s a 27-20 lead with only 28 seconds on the clock. I thought the game was over, but no one told Lumsden about that. On the ensuing kickoff, he returned the ball 88-yards for a TD, sending the game into overtime. In the extra series, Mac’s kicker Mike Ray booted a 21-yard field goal for the win, 30-27.
To this day, that game remains one of the most memorable football games I have ever seen.
But every once in a while the taunts come back to haunt me; is Jesse the better Lumsden? Or does his father Neil still have that crown? For those unfamiliar with CIS football and the CFL, a quick background on the two Lumsdens.
In college, Neil Lumsden was a standout fullback and place kicker for the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees, who won the 1975 College Bowl (Vanier Cup). About the Gee-Gees, Toronto Sun reporter Bob Elliot commented, “Often people ask me what was the most exciting team that I ever covered? Was it the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays or the 1993 Blue Jays? Neither. The answer is the 1975 Ottawa Gee Gees!” With the Gee-Gees, Neil set a CIS scoring record that, to this day, has yet to be broken. After his stellar college career, Neil joined the CFL, playing 9 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Eskimos. During his CFL career, Neil received a number of accolades and won several Grey Cups.
Neil’s son Jesse has also had quite the football career. After winning the Hec Crighton Award as Canada’s best collegiate football player in 2004 and appearing in the East-West Shrine Bowl, Jesse signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks. After being released by the Seahawks, Jesse joined the Hamilton Tiger Cats, the team that had drafted him 6th overall in the 2005 CFL Draft. The following year, Jesse once again pursued his NFL dreams, attending training camp with the Washington Redskins before being release and rejoining the Tiger-Cats.
Accolades
Neil Lumsden
College Career
- College Bowl/Vanier Cup Champion (1975)
- 3 time OUAA East MVP (1972, 1973, 1975)
- 1 time CIAU All Canadian (1975)
- Most career points (410)
Professional Career
- 1 time CFL East Most Outstanding Rookie (1976)
- 3 time Grey Cup Champion (1980-1982-Edmonton)
- 2 time CFL Eastern Division All-Star
- 1 time Most Outstanding Canadian in the Grey Cup (1981)
- 1 time Grey Cup Champion (as a GM) (1999-Hamilton)
Jesse Lumsden
College Career
- 1 time OUA MVP (2004)
- 1 time Hec Creighton Award (CIS MVP)(2004)
- 2 time OUA First Team All Star (2003-04)
- 2 time CIS First Team All Canadian (2003-04)
Comparable Statistics
Through July 28, 2008
There you have it. I think it’s quite clear that Neil Lumsden had the better college career. Thus far, Neil has also had a more accomplished professional career, achieving both individual and team success. When Jesse joined the Tiger-Cats, he was put in a bad situation. During his first two partial seasons, the TiCats finished 5-13 and 4-14, both worst in the league, which resulted in a coaching staff shakeup. In 2007, the Ti-Cats declined again, going 3-15; so far in 2008, the team is 1-4. Without team success, it is difficult to receive individual accolades.
Statistically, per game, Jesse has been much better than his father. Unfortunately NFL aspirations and injuries have limited Jesse to an average of just over 6 games a season. As such, both father and son have similar production numbers over the course of each of their respective seasons.
If you have one game, take Jesse. If you need commitment and durability for an entire season, take Neil.
(Who’s better in blue?)
This article has been submitted by Alex Jackson.