After spending most of last season on the Toronto Argonauts' practice roster, Kenny Shaw has consistently turned heads at training camp as he battles to crack the CFL team's lineup.Chris Carlson/The Associated Press
The patient approach appears to be working for Kenny Shaw once again.
Upset in 2010 that he didn't start immediately at Florida State, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound receiver worked his way into the starting lineup and helped the Seminoles capture the 2013 BCS title. After spending most of last season on the Toronto Argonauts' practice roster, Shaw has consistently turned heads at training camp as he battles to crack the CFL team's lineup.
"I'm a patient person so I [referred] back to my Florida State days when I came in as a little freshman and was mad I wasn't playing right away," he said. "But it all worked out in the end and we won a national championship.
"I took last year as a learning year because it's a tough system and league to come in and play right away. I think coming in and having the whole year with that offence has paid off."
Shaw has definitely caught the eye of Argos head coach Scott Milanovich.
"He's had a great camp, even starting down at Bradenton, Fla., with our mini-camp," Milanovich said. "Being on the [practice roster] all year and being around it and understanding the offence has helped him.
"You can see him using his speed and athletic talents to get open now. He's probably made the biggest jump of anybody."
Shaw will have the chance to further impress Saturday when Toronto hosts the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BMO Field. It will be the opening CFL exhibition game for both teams and the Argos' first at their new home stadium.
Shaw, 24, of Orlando, Fla., finished his college career with 124 catches for 1,919 yards and 14 TDs. After being bypassed in the 2014 NFL draft, Shaw had tryouts with Cleveland, Jacksonville and Oakland before signing with Toronto in May 2015.
Shaw appeared in two regular-season games with the Argos, starting one. He didn't register a catch but had an 11-yard run, an eight-yard kickoff return and two punt returns.
But cracking Toronto's receiving corps won't be easy because the club has an abundance of young, talented performers. Vidal Hazelton (70 catches, 803 yards – both team highs – four TDs) anchored the unit as a rookie that included newcomers Tori Gurley (58 catches, 791 yards, 10 TDs), Kevin Elliott (50 catches, 642 yards, eight TDs), and Diontae Spencer (36 catches, 502 yards, three TDs).
Veteran slotback Andre Durie – who had career highs of 92 catches for 986 yards in 2013 – returns after two injury-plagued seasons.
While Shaw only worries about what he can control, notably his preparation and play, he does draw inspiration from his teammates.
"I just come to work every day and when you have that mentality the sky is the limit," he said. "But when you see your brothers working hard with you, that keeps you going."
As an American coming north, Shaw had to get acclimated with the nuances of Canadian football like the extra man, longer and wider field and unlimited motion. But the biggest adjustment came off the field.
"It [the Argos' playbook] was very difficult," he said. "Big is an understatement.
"First you've got to get the personnel, then the motions and then the plays. It's like you're back in school. It's a patience thing, you've got to be patient and this year I'm feeling a lot more comfortable."
And having a year of Toronto's offence under his belt has taught Shaw the value of never taking a play off.
"No matter what, you're a read in the system so you have to run every route like you're going to get the ball," he said. "Also, if you're going to make a mistake, just make it going full speed."