ROBSERVATIONS: Marc Mueller was on his mark at 2011 CFL Combine … remembering Gary Mather … the trade that never quit
An affectionate tribute to Marc Mueller’s jaw-dropping appearance at the 2011 CFL Combine was, well, a combined effort.
Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris found 14-year-old testing results for Mueller — a former University of Regina Rams quarterback and the Roughriders’ current offensive co-ordinator — and acted as any responsible adult would.
Harris urgently, gleefully forwarded his discovery to Head Coach Corey Mace, who proceeded to post the image and intel from 2011 on a bulletin board at Mosaic Stadium.
Why, oh why, would someone do such a thing?
“I don’t know who they are,” Mueller began, unconvincingly, “but there are ‘separated at births’ or pictures from online and they put them up by the coffee machine. I don’t know who it is. I don’t think it’s me, but people think it’s me.”
Percentage-wise, what is the possibility that the culprit is, indeed, Mueller.
“High 90s,” he said, allowing some room for doubt.
“There’s one picture of (Assistant GM) Kyle Carson looking like Marty McFly. There’s one of Corey Mace after he did an air-bands thing. They think I did it, which sounds out of character, personally.
“Anyway, there’s this website that takes all the Combine testing in the CFL and NFL over all the years. Trevor somehow found my results and sent them to Corey and Corey put them up beside the coffee machine as retaliation.”
The numbers included a 5.1-second clocking in the 40-yard dash.
“I wonder if he knew he was supposed to sprint the 40,” Harris mused the other day while lightheartedly embracing this topic — as did the always self-deprecating Mueller, who also had delicious fun with this.
“He was graded on ability, size, speed and explosion. His best category was his explosive grade, so we have an explosive offensive co-ordinator …
“I’m sure glad he’s great with scheme and a great coach, as opposed to teaching us how to be successful at Combine testing.”
Mueller, always proficient at back-and-forth jousting, does not take offence to any of this.
“Everyone bothers me about the picture of me before the 40, but that’s probably the best shape I’ll ever be in,” he said. “I’m fine with it. They can put it up as many times as they like.”
Mueller can also cite the facts, which are irrefutable.
“I just told everyone I finished second in every event … because there were only two quarterbacks at the Combine,” he correctly stated.
“But nobody knows that. It takes people a while to figure that out and, by the time they do, the conversation has already ended. And I was up against Brad Sinopoli — who will probably be in the Hall of Fame someday — so it’s not like it was a fair fight to begin with.”
Mueller does point out that he was “OK” in the vertical jump (30 inches) and bench press (14 reps).
“I could do the bench,” he reiterated.
Ahhh, yes … the bench — where Mueller invariably sat when the Sheldon-Williams Spartans competed in the 2007 Luther Invitational Tournament.
“Correct — at every basketball game, ever,” Mueller responded.
“I wore Number 14 and someone asked, ‘Is that because you wear it in football?’ I said, ‘No, that’s where I am on the depth chart — 14th.’ I think we had 12 players.”
All kidding aside, Mueller’s performance at the 2011 Combine was factored into the appraisal when he was invited to attend a CFL training camp with Edmonton.
In fact, he saw pre-season duty with the then-Eskimos when they visited historic Mosaic Stadium on July 17, 2011. He completed all three passes he attempted, producing 45 yards.
How many Combine participants of any vintage can say that their lifetime completion percentage, taking into account all appearances in the professional football ranks, is 100?
“The Combine was a great process for me that I learned a lot from,” Mueller said leading up to the 2025 Combine, which is set for March 21 to 23 in Regina.
“Now, looking back on it as a coach, I can go, ‘What are good questions? What questions was I asked?’
“At the time, it was another chance to compete and another chance to play football.
“For me, the Combine was a great experience.”
REMEMBERING GARY MATHER
Gary Mather, a wonderful man and a great gift to the sporting community, passed away the other day.
I was introduced to Gary in the 1990s, when he sold Rams 50/50 tickets in the upper deck during Roughriders games at Taylor Field.
Up and down the stairs he went, from section to section, making typically selfless and inexhaustible contributions to a team — and a sport — he served with distinction in so many ways.
Gary played for the Rams, earning all-star honours in two of his three seasons with what was then a junior football team.
Early in his rookie season, he enjoyed a three-touchdown game, scoring on two 80-yard kickoff returns and a 40-yard run on Sept. 12, 1959 at Taylor Field.
A week later, Gary scored on a 79-yard touchdown pass from future Roughriders quarterback Jack Brandt.
In one 1961 game, Gary amassed 261 yards from scrimmage — 32 more than the opposition managed as a team.
After graduating as a player, he remained with the Rams as the equipment manager.
Appointed a Rams director in 1969, he was the team’s president in 1976 and 1977.
On top of that, Gary served the Canadian Junior Football League as its secretary (from 1979 to 1992) and registrar (1993 to 1997).
Suitably, he was awarded life memberships by the CJFL (1997) and the Rams (1999).
Gary entered the Regina Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in 2012, having made invaluable contributions that transcend football.
And he did everything with a smile. That includes taking a lead role in the formation of the Rams’ alumni association, back in 1978.
He did all that, and much more, with the best of intentions, without any agenda, ego or entitlement.
You might have dealt with him as a teammate, a would-be tackler, a meeting attendee or, like me, as a 50/50 ticket buyer in Section 204.
Regardless of the venue or the nature of the interaction, it was always a joy to spend any time with Gary Mather.
It is in that spirit that we fondly remember him today.
ART OF THE DEALS
While wallowing in the past, yet again, I stumbled into perhaps the craziest trade sequence in Roughriders history — one deal that turned into three transactions.
The transactional flurry began on April 14, 1960, when the Roughriders traded halfback Norm Billingslea and end Gene O’Pella to Edmonton for offensive linemen J.T. Frankenberger and Tom Emerson.
That trade was voided, however, when:
• Frankenberger indicated he planned to forego football for law school.
• Emerson balked at a change of scenery, citing a desire to remain in Edmonton and continue his studies at the University of Alberta.
• O’Pella left football for business reasons.
That left Billingslea, who was amenable to joining the Eskimos … but for what? Or whom?
Fast forward to June 28, 1960, when an amended trade was announced — Billingslea to Edmonton (again) for offensive lineman Sal Marchese.
Marchese reported to the Roughriders, only to depart on July 15, 1960.
Billingslea was released by Edmonton just four days after Marchese left the Roughriders’ training camp.
The void on the offensive line was addressed when (guess who?!) Frankenberger decided to resume his football career. So, on Aug. 5 of that year, he was acquired from Edmonton for cash.
Frankenberger ended up playing in 15 games with the 1960 Roughriders.
As for Emerson, he did not see any action in 1960 after injuring an ankle in Edmonton’s intra-squad game.
So, after all those moves, only one of the players involved — Frankenberger — saw regular-season duty in 1960.
He returned to the Roughriders in 1961, only to be placed on the disabled list three days before the regular season opened. He retired after the 1961 season.
The final tally from this troika of trades: Five players, 15 games played, an undisclosed amount of cash, and the 314 words required to describe the chain of events in this week’s Robservations.
ROLL CREDITS …
• Nice people who deserve a plug: Murray McDonald, Pete Paczko, Aleah Kamerman, Dr. Zachary Wolfmueller, Dr. Christopher Ward, Dr. Tom Robinson, Dr. Colette Pelletier, Eva Fletcher, Angela Bailey, Marc Mueller, Dan Farthing, Corey Mace, Jamie Nye, Barry Zerr and Josh MacNeil.
