It didn’t take long for Kevin Mital to realize that he was now a professional footballer.
The former Laval University Rouge et Or star took to the field on Wednesday when the Toronto Argonauts launched their rookie camp on the University of Guelph campus. What stood out to the 2022 Hec-Crighton Trophy recipient is the speed of the game.
“Everything is happening quickly,” said Mital. You have to learn the whole game book, new terms.
“You have to speak the same language as the coaches, who take the time to explain to us what they want. It’s very fun and exciting. »
The last few weeks have been eventful for the 26-year-old footballer from Saint-Hubert. He was chosen in the first round, fifth overall, on April 30, before signing a contract, packing his boxes and leaving his Quebec apartment, bringing the bare necessities to Guelph.
“I’ve been feeling pretty rushed for the last week,” he said. Now we come to the fun part of it all; to play football, learn as much as possible and prove to the coaches that they made the right decision. »
The veterans will report to camp on Sunday.
Mital had 22 catches for 280 yards and three touchdowns in four games with the Rouge et Or last season. But in 2022, the six-foot-one, 229-pound wide receiver led all U Sport with 58 catches for 751 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games to become the first wide receiver to be named Canadian university football’s MVP since 2005.
He capped this exceptional campaign by being voted MVP of the Vanier Cup game, won 30-24 by Laval against the Saskatchewan Huskies.
Mital also excelled at the CFL practice in March. He cleared 40 yards in 4m58 seconds and performed a 35-inch vertical jump, in addition to performing 20 reps at 225 pounds on the bench press.
All of this means that the pressure is now on his shoulders.
“It’s clear there’s a lot of pressure,” admitted Mital. When you are first choice at a club, I believe all you can do is disappoint people.
“You can’t surprise anyone, so I’m just trying not to disappoint them and prove to them that what I did in the session last March, I can reproduce it for a CFL team. You have to have a short memory and display a lot of consistency. (…) Consistency is a key word in professional football. »
Toronto needed a Canadian receiver after trading Kurleigh Gittens Jr. to the Edmonton Elks this winter. If Gittens’ departure creates an opening for Mital, he remains cautious.
“The coaches want the best players on the field and I’m going to do my best to be the best I can be. The only thing I control right now is my performance.
“I’m trying to show that I can play on special teams, that I can block both on special teams and on offense. That I am versatile. »
reference: www.lapresse.ca