Tony Corbin dropped back in the pocket, his orange No. 16 sweater brilliant against a sun-lit backdrop of white colours for the offensive team and the defensive black jerseys.
Corbin's pass had a noticeable wobble as the nose suddenly dipped and headed toward the grassy turf.
The ball was deflected by a lunging linebacker, but somehow landed in the hands of startled receiver Darnell McDonald. B.C. Lions teammates went about their business as if this sort of thing had become routine.
It hasn't, yet. Corbin's first practice session as the team's starting quarterback -- Damon Allen is out several weeks with three broken bones in his left hand -- went smooth enough, except for the wobbling passes that were his trademark in training camp.
Corbin, 27, will start Friday in Montreal against the Alouettes, a difficult assignment for the best of Canadian Football League quarterbacks, but even more so for a refugee from sandlot ball in Germany with the Dusseldorf Panthers.
"I want to show I'm a good professional quarterback and get some job security," Corbin said yesterday. "I loved the experience in Germany. It turned out better than I thought it would be.
"The German league's not the CFL, but I started 12 games over there and it's football. You're throwing at targets, throwing the ball quickly and getting hit. Guys play to win, so it was good work."
The nomadic Corbin landed with the CFL Lions this year after a stint in the Arena Football League and battled for the backup position in training camp. Now he's the go-to guy with Allen on the sidelines for some time.
The Lions have simplified their offence for Corbin, who will be backed up by David Rivers and versatile receiver Bret Anderson. A third quarterback may arrive by game time in Montreal for his CFL indoctrination.
The Phoenix-born Corbin played football at Sacramento State and got his first look at the CFL game when he worked a security gig with college teammates during a home game of the Sacramento Gold Miners in the mid-1990s.
"Sac stadium was my college field and I was one of the guys wearing the yellow jackets with the events [crew]" Corbin recalled. "I was supposed to have my back to the game, watching the fans. I didn't do that. I was watching the game, but I don't really remember who the players were.
"[Doug]Flutie was hanging around playing basketball in our gym, but I don't remember if he played that game."
Corbin draws inspiration from the likes of Kurt Warner, the St. Louis Rams quarterback who kept his career aspirations going by playing in the Arena League before finally making the National Football League and earning a Super Bowl ring.
In arena ball, Corbin made several stops with brief stints in Portland, New York, Albany and Florida. Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 1997, he was asked to play in NFL Europe with the Rein Fire, but all he did there was run plays for the scout team, so he moved on to Dusseldorf.
Corbin never lost the fire to play, even when he watched from the bench while the seasoned Allen took all the snaps for the Lions when the regular season started.
"There's a lot of players out there and football's a tough business," the 6-foot-4 Corbin added. "Look at how the opportunity sprung up for me. Damon broke three bones in his hand [and]something good finally happened for me."
Corbin completed 11 of 18 passes for two touchdowns in relief of Allen last weekend against Calgary. Now he'll throw against a Montreal defence that prepared especially for him, not the more mobile Allen.
The Lions raised a few eyebrows yesterday by releasing injured slotbacks Don Blair and Sean Graham, both non-imports. Blair started in the 2000 Grey Cup game, but had been hampered by knee problems.
Both would have qualified for full-season pay as six-year CFL veterans had they remained on the B.C. roster after Sept. 1, even when injured.
"Guys on the roster were playing very well and I'm hesitant to make a change," B.C. coach Steve Buratto said in reference to younger receivers Ryan Thelwell, Denis Montana and rookie Scott Robinson. "There was no way to keep everybody."
Corbin's targets against Montreal will be starting receivers Thelwell, Alfred Jackson, McDonald and Montana.