Right off the draw, Jon Cornish says he's not about running in other people's footprints.
He has heard of Rueben Mayes and Touchdown Tim Biakabutuka. He knows of Kerry Carter and Dahrran Diedrick. All were Canadian-trained running backs who thrived in U.S. college football, drew extensive praise and got their shots in the National Football League.
Cornish had his chance, too, even though he went unclaimed in this year's NFL draft. But instead of signing as an NFL free agent and perhaps bouncing from team to team, the former high-school sensation from New Westminster, B.C., made footprints in a different direction — to Calgary, home of the Canadian Football League Stampeders.
After setting the University of Kansas single-season rushing record that knocked the legendary Gale Sayers out of top spot, the 22-year-old Cornish is believed to be the first Canadian-born, National Collegiate Athletic Association star running back to come directly to the CFL.
Most homegrown backs come from Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Many are fullbacks who can block and handle the ball on short-yard situations. Some do that and more. (Think of Sean Millington, the last Canadian back to gain 1,000 yards in a CFL season, and maybe Jesse Lumsden, who tried out for two NFL teams and should see more action with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.) Cornish has yet to gain a yard as a pro, but he arrives with sparkling credentials (1,467 yards in his senior year at Kansas), confidence and wisdom beyond his experience.
"Nobody's done it his way," said an approving Jim Barker, the Stampeders' general manager. "He's a special guy, as a player and a person. He knows he has to work his way onto the team, then we'll see what happens."
Cornish concurred.
"Anybody who comes into a league thinking they should start is foolish. You have to come in and learn your role."
Cornish is a quick study. At Kansas, he was twice named to the Big 12 all-academic team. He was involved in campus politics; named to the athletic director's honour roll. In 2005, he was voted the team's most valuable offensive player. The following year, he finished ninth in the United States in rushing yards. All Cornish needed was to perform well at the NFL scouting combine workouts and everything would be set.
After running 40 yards in 4.62 seconds, everything came unglued.
Cornish was told he would not be drafted the first day. When his name wasn't called at all, he felt slighted. As many as 14 NFL teams soon said they were interested in signing him as a free agent. Cornish made up his mind; he was going to the Stampeders, who had drafted him in 2006 even though they suspected Cornish was bound for the NFL.
"I ran a pretty poor 40, but I worked on it and I ran a better time," Cornish explained. "I didn't have the respect I should have for having a 1,500-yard season. … Not getting drafted was the reason I wanted to come home and play here. I want to be a trailblazer."
A high-school standout who once rushed for 336 yards and four touchdowns in a game, Cornish sent a videotape of his exploits to Kansas and was offered a scholarship. Early on he realized he could compete against American athletes even if some thought he couldn't.
"I don't feel there's a large difference between the levels of play," Cornish said. "There's a perceived difference. It's like, 'Oh, you're from Canada. Football is an American sport.' One writer down there wrote, 'How'd they get this guy off the ice?' "
Is Cornish a good skater?
"Nope. I love hockey, but I only played road hockey."
Listed as a backup to the Stampeders' principal ball carrier, Joffrey Reynolds, Cornish will be expected to establish himself as a special-teams player — a tackler on cover teams and a return man on kickoffs and punts. That prospect sits well with the six-foot, 205-pound Cornish.
"I'm playing behind two great running backs [Reynolds, Wes Cates] and I'm not looking to take their position," Cornish said. "I'm looking to solidify my position. My first three years at Kansas, I played on special teams and I loved it. It's a true one-on-one competition. It's really a battle of wills."
So watch for the young man who is willing to accept his role and fight for his spot with the Stampeders. The NFL scouts said he wasn't the biggest or the fastest runner; that he wasn't explosive enough for them. They did acknowledge he was good on cutbacks and changing direction.
Having changed his direction and high-tailed it home, Cornish is eager to begin his run to glory — in his way, his style.
