For many BC Lions youngsters at this weekend’s mini camp, Kamloops is foreign territory. Not only is 23-year old receiver Derek Yachison an exception to that rule, he is also the answer to a neat trivia question: He is the first ever Kamloops Jr. Broncos alumni to be signed by a CFL club.
“I take a lot of pride in it,” said the 2014 Canadian Junior All-Star. “The Broncos are coming up on their tenth anniversary season so it’s still a young program. It’s definitely a privilege. A lot of guys go to CIS and then they go to the pros but to make that jump is huge.”
Despite the rain and wind at Hillside Stadium when the Lions opened mini-camp Thursday, Yachison had the attitude of someone playing a mid-summer game at BC Place with the roof open. Adopting the hardworking mentality on the field will be necessary in Yachison’s mission to stay on the roster through camp. The Lions currently have six Canadian receivers on the roster including 2016 third-round pick Brett Blaszko and incumbents Shawn Gore, Steven Adekolu and Marco Iannuzzi. Trying to stand out amongst that group will be a challenge, but Yachison will not back down after his solid performance to open mini-camp. He turned a few heads after making a diving grab in one-on-one drills in the rainy conditions.
Yachison earned the British Columbia Football Conference top receiver award in 2014 and the Lions took notice by signing him to his first pro contract. For any youngster, the chance to spend more than a full season on a CFL practice roster, while playing out their junior eligibility at the same time, is a great way to learn the craft. Now with some of that experience under his belt, Yachison is anxious to prove he can make that next step.
“I think last year I made big strides. They kept me out here for the whole season which really showed I was fitting in and not here to just watch and learn,” said Yachison. “It was a huge boost of confidence to get that contract. They wouldn’t put me out here if they didn’t think I could do it. Now it’s up to me.”
The numbers don’t lie. In his final junior season, Yachison earned the league’s Outstanding Offensive Player nod with 1,026 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns.
Growing up in Winnipeg, the speedy receiver was a diehard Blue Bombers fan and idolized Milt Stegall, one of the CFL’s all-time greatest receivers. Looking up to Stegall, and adopting some of those lunch pail prairie characteristics helped Yachison adopt the traits he hopes Lions fans will come to learn in the coming weeks and months.
“I’m a hard-nosed guy. My nose is always in the playbook and I am looking to contribute any way I can. As a receiver I am willing to and gain those hard yards and put in all the dirty work necessary to be a receiver in the CFL.”
Perhaps the best example of a BC Junior player making the most of an opportunity with the Lions is Andrew Harris, who was first discovered at a local evaluation camp in 2009 during his time with the Vancouver Island Raiders. Two years later, he was the Grey Cup’s Most Outstanding Canadian. Wally Buono certainly has an appreciation for these young players who devote most of their day to learning how to become a solid pro.
“He’s gotten better every year,” said Buono. “He’s at a point now where his skill level should be good enough that he can compete.”
No matter how this chapter ends, Yachison will always be grateful to his Kamloops ties.
“I may be from Winnipeg, but Kamloops is my second home. This is where I became a man.”
In addition to Yachison, there are four “territorial protected” BC Junior players attending mini-camp. They are DL Layne Hull, DB Matt McConnell, OL Michele Vecchio, all from the Okanagan Sun and RB Nathan Lund of the Langley Rams.
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com