Argos’ Ricky Ray ready to regain starting pivot role as playoffs approach

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Ricky Ray has been throwing a football for most of his life, starting as a kid in Happy Camp, Calif., where he grew up a diehard San Francisco 49ers fan mimicking Joe Montana and Steve Young. The 36-year-old has since won three Grey Cups and thrown some of the most stunning corner routes ever completed in the Canadian Football League.

Yet there have been moments in the past year when Ray couldn't toss a football 20 yards without intense pain – maddening, worrisome moments when he wondered if his shoulder would ever be right again.

As his Toronto Argonauts prepare to play what is likely their last regular-season game ever at Rogers Centre this week, Ray will fittingly start under centre in the building where he delivered a championship to the franchise in 2012. It won't mean anything in the standings to either the Argos or the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers, but Friday's game will test the playoff readiness of the veteran and his arm. It will be only his second start this year after an arduous recovery from off-season shoulder surgery, and his last shot to prove he should start over rising star Trevor Harris when the postseason begins next week.

Ray had the surgery last November to repair a torn labrum and a small tear in the rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Doctors suggested at the time that he'd be ready for training camp in May, yet the recovery took far longer. He couldn't practise until September.

In the meantime, 29-year-old Harris seized the job and thrived over 16 starts. The youngster was honoured three times among the CFL's top performers of the week as Toronto played well enough to earn a playoff berth. All the while, Ray was sidelined, experiencing dispiriting setbacks as he tried to rebuild strength and flexibility in that shoulder.

"I'd plateau a bit and think, 'It's never going to do what I want,' and talk to trainers, doctors and figure out something else to work on, and see a few results and get excited all over again – such a roller coaster of emotions," Ray said at Tuesday's practice. "There were times I was really frustrated and wondered if I'd ever be able to do the things I wanted to do again. But I never had the 'I don't want to do this any more' feeling. I still have the feeling of wanting to play football and win another Grey Cup."

Ray was voted the East Division's outstanding player the past two seasons. He led the CFL in passing yards (4,595), touchdown passes (28) and completion percentage (68.5 per cent) last season. His name already tops several passing categories in the CFL's all-time record books.

Harris, in his fourth CFL season, has completed more than 71 per cent of his passes this year for 4,144 yards – third-best in the CFL. He has thrown for a league-best 32 touchdowns and a league-worst 18 interceptions. He lost his past two starts before the Argos turned to Ray last week. Ray completed 26 of 38 passes for 227 yards, one touchdown and a pick in a 27-25 loss to the B.C Lions.

Veteran receiver Chad Owens says Harris throws the ball with more zip, yet Ray's ability to get rid of the ball quickly is unparalleled.

Both quarterbacks will become free agents this off-season, so the Argos may be forced to choose.

First, though, Scott Milanovich has to make what he calls one of the toughest decisions he's faced as the Argonauts' head coach – which QB to start when Toronto faces either the Ottawa RedBlacks or Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern semi-final next week.

"Trevor is as big a reason as anyone that we're in the playoffs," Milanovich said.

"But it's a unique situation. We've got a first-ballot hall of famer here – we need to find out if Ricky gives us a better chance."

Milanovich says that in Tuesday's practice, Ray threw the ball the best Milanovich has seen from him all year, yet he's still establishing chemistry with his receivers.

"For a while there, I didn't have the confidence to make some of the throws I needed to make, and I really battled that," Ray said.

"Now, I finally feel I'm throwing the ball where I want to throw it."