CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Purdue Project Stubblefield Hopes To Become TiCats' Meow

by Tom Ando
Published on October 4, 2005 under Canadian Football League (CFL)
Hamilton Tiger-Cats


Throughout his collegiate career, Taylor Stubblefield showed up every Saturday ready to play. It became apparent as his consistent, elite performances began to build.

On November 20, 2004, it all paid off as he became the NCAA's all-time leader in pass receptions. It was an indelible moment for the young receiver.

"That's great because no matter what, nobody can take that away from me," said Stubblefield, who helped Purdue top Indiana, 63-24, on that particular Saturday. "The Biletnikoff (award) and the All America, are stuff that is voted upon. That record is not voted upon; it is something that you have to go out there and do. You have to catch balls; you can't drop them. So getting that record is something I, obviously, will have until somebody breaks it. Hopefully they don't break it for a long time."

With such an accomplishment to his credit, it would be hard to imagine that anyone in their right mind could possibly overlook the 23-year-old former Boilermaker. Sure enough, the National Football League did just that. In April's NFL draft, Stubblefield's name went unmentioned during the seven round event, something that didn't sit all too well for the consensus All-America.

"Going into the Senior Bowl - and all of that stuff - they were saying, ‘you might be 5th or 6th round,'" said Stubblefield. "Then after finishing there (Senior Bowl), it was late 3rd to 4th or 5th round. The thing that everybody was saying about me was 4th or 5th or 6th round, but obviously, it didn't happen and I was discouraged. But you've got to make the best of the situation."

Looking for the silver lining is how Stubblefield ended up at Purdue. At obscure Davis High School in Yakima, Washington, he was an all-State athlete in both football and basketball. He was honored by the State of Washington as the best senior athlete. The offers came by way of the hoop hardwood from Gonzaga University, Portland State University and as far away as Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, but with football being the obvious choice, it was an important decision to move east.

"Most of the teams that I talked to at the time were Pac 10 schools and Purdue and some other small schools," said the 5-foot-11, 174-pound Stubblefield. "Pretty much all of the kids around my area were going to the Pac-10 schools and I wanted to be a little bit different and Purdue at the time had Drew Brees. He had a big game in the Outback Bowl the year before, so I thought that Purdue would be a good fit for me and I would get the football."

As a red-shirt freshman in 2001, he saw plenty of pigskin, but didn't cross the goal line until New Years' eve.

"Most of the season I was moving the chains as kind of the third down guy and I probably should've had some touchdowns during the year, but during in the Sun Bowl, I capitalized on some deep balls," said Stubblefield, who racked up 196 yards receiving, highlighted by touchdowns of 65 and 51 yards. " I just got underneath them and got behind the defense. It was a very good game for me to cap off my year."

Throughout the next two seasons, Stubblefield would continue to put up solid numbers. In 2002, he had 67 receptions for 789 yards, followed by 86 grabs for 835 yards in 2003. This set the stage for an impressive 2004 season from the Boilermakers, led by starting quarterback Kyle Orton. The team steam rolled their opponents, but the dreams would eventually come crashing down in heart breaking losses.

"In the Wisconsin game and the Michigan game we were winning going into the last two minutes of the game," said Stubblefield. "Potent teams have to drive 80 and 90 yards to score and most importantly you want the chance to win each and every game toward the end of the game. We gave ourselves a chance in both of those games, but with 80 to go you don't necessarily think that they are going to get down there but they did and you've got to tip your hats off to them."

Despite the disappointing losses, Stubblefield still managed to garner enough national attention to be named an All-America, something that he holds in the highest regard.

"That's something that not everyone can say. Not just a one or two team, but I was a consensus All-America. That's something that I look back now and I'll look back in 5 or 10 years and say that I was a consensus All-America."

After the college season, Stubblefield trained in California with his old golfing pal Orton and several other quarterbacks looking to make a name for themselves with the draft looming.

"That was a great environment for me," Stubblefield continued. " It was good to be around a lot of quarterbacks and have a lot of balls thrown to you by different guys and it kind of worked out well for me when I went to the East-West Shrine game playing with some of those guys. It made it an easier transition."

Once it became apparent that he would not be selected in the NFL draft, Stubblefield and his agent began fielding calls from more than a dozen clubs and eventually decided the Carolina Panthers would present the greatest chance of making a roster. Upon arrival in Carolina, Stubblefield realized it was quite the opposite.

"There were actually about 12 of us sitting there, so the actual chances of making the team as a wide receiver were not that great," said Stubblefield, who played in three pre-season games before getting cut. "The way the numbers were working and we had three NFL Europe guys that were exempt from the first cut, so it was surprising but at the same time, it's a business."

Now Stubblefield's business is up north, with the Canadian Football League's Hamilton TigerCats, where he signed on the same day as former Utah receiver Steve Savoy.

"Both Taylor and Steve are reliable receivers with good hands," said TiCats Director of Player Personnel Craig Smith. "Throughout their entire college careers, both guys had the ability to make big plays."

It's not that Stubblefield can't play in the NFL. The Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs even showed interest after his departure from Carolina, but it was about something a little more. "It was a situation where I would rather be playing than sitting and waiting," said Stubblefield. "I could obviously be waiting to get picked up on a practice squad or something, but I'd rather be playing here with 5 weeks left in the season."

So the only question left is exactly when will we see Taylor Stubblefield and his number 83 jersey out on the field for the TiCats in a game?

"I kind of have the same question as you," joked Stubblefield.

When he does hit the field, expect him to produce.

Take It To The House
Touchdown Tom's Tidbits -In college, Taylor Stubblefield became one of the more decorated players during the 2004 season. Along with his NCAA record for receptions in a career and All-America honors, he was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award given to the nation's top receiver, but eventually lost out to Michigan's Braylon Edwards.

"With my numbers that I had, it put me in contention to win the Biletnikoff," said Stubblefield. "With Braylon and the year that he had, we kind of had similar numbers, but he beat me out on a few things and I was just glad to be there and be a part of everything."

-Stubblefield was a part of a lot of things, but the NFL's annual scouting combine was not one of them.

"It didn't make sense to me, but the combine is set up for people not to do well," said Stubblefield. "They make you get up five in the morning to do this, right after you do this, and this. It's not something that a lot of people end up doing well at, but if you do well at it, it's very good for you, but I was able to focus on my pro day."

-During the pro day at Purdue, several players were able to showcase their abilities. The head liner to that event was quarterback Kyle Orton, who is now the starter for the Chicago Bears. Stubblefield is not surprised.

"There are a lot of things that Kyle has that a lot of quarterbacks don't have and I think it definitely shows at times. Last week he had a rough outing and he threw five picks. Kyle is the type of guy because of what we did at Purdue and how much studying you have to do, there won't be many back to back games where he doesn't do that well. He's great a great arm and he puts a lot of steam on the ball and he puts it in a place where you can catch it well. It's not that surprising to me at all and I expect him to do a lot better."

-Going into the draft, scouts shied away from Stubblefield as his smaller frame and his suspect speed were questioned.

"I'm quick," said Stubblefield. "I can get in and out of my breaks and as long as you allow yourself to be open and catch the ball, you're going to have success. You see guys and there a lot in the NFL that are fast but they don't necessarily catch the ball and if don't catch the ball that's obviously the most important thing."

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Canadian Football League Stories from October 4, 2005


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