MONTREAL - With the annual CFL draft just around the corner, again this year, a few local university prospects are on the radar.
One of them is McGill kicker Austin Anderson.
After four years with the McGill Redmen, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound native of Canmore, Alta. ready to set his sights higher.
"Later in my college career here, I've been trying to train and get to that level. There's some opportunity out there and I'd like to be able to take advantage of that and work really hard to hopefully excel at the next level," he said.
As a result of that hard work, Anderson is the top-ranked kicker available in the upcoming CFL draft, which is big news for the finance major.
"It's really exciting. I was really fortunate to see my name up there in those rankings. It's something I never expected, but it was a really nice surprise and because of that there's a fairly good chance I'll be able to get a chance at the next level," he said.
Head coach Clint Uttley said the player's versatility has helped him, but he has more work to do.
"He can hit deep kicks, he can hit short kicks, he can hit them on angles. The one part of his game he is going to have to work on at the next level is if they ask him to punt. He's going to have to put in a lot of time into that. but as far as a kicker, he is the best pure place kicker going into the draft this year, for sure," said Uttley.
And if the name Anderson sounds familiar in football circles, that's because his father, Gary Anderson, played 23 seasons in the NFL.
It's no surprise, then, that his insight has been very valuable.
"My dad's been the biggest factor on the mental side of things. He was a very natural athlete, and so technique-wise, he taught me a little bit. But really, the mental side, dealing with the pressure, focusing in those tough situations, learning to have a short memory and forget about those bad kicks," he said, was his best advice.
The CFL draft is scheduled for Thursday, May 3.
