http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/ ... 3b062f76a3
Lots of mutual respect between the two. I would say, as much as people thought Hufnagel would do well with his first Head Coaching gig in the CFL, that he has far exceeded even those expectations.Leaky offensive line sparked a work of genius
In Calgary, Buono, Hufnagel & Co. had a problem to solve
Ed Willes The Province
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Lions head coach Wally Buono has high regard for John Hufnagel, who served as a guest coach at B.C.'s 2006 training camp and now is running the show in Calgary, where in the 1990s the two men worked together on a system that has revolutionized offensive football in North America.
When they first joined forces 18 years ago, they revolutionized football, which is all you need to know about the professional relationship between Wally Buono and John Hufnagel.
But this is all you need to know about the personal relationship between the two men.
When Hufnagel left Calgary following the 1996 season, he left behind a videotape for Buono in which he explained the intricacies of the offence he'd helped create.
Buono would use that tape to refine the skills of, among others, Jeff Garcia, Henry Burris, Dave Dickenson, Marcus Crandell, Casey Printers and Buck Pierce. Buono said Monday he thinks Lions quarterbacks coach Steff Kruck still has Hufnagel's tutorial.
And now, in a story that's as old as the written word, the student will meet the teacher in the Western final at McMahon Stadium. Except in this case, you're not sure who's the teacher and who's the student.
There are, of course, 1,000 plotlines weaving their way in and out Saturday's showdown in the foothills, but given their shared history and its massive impact on the game, the connection between Hufnagel and Buono is hard to ignore, even if both men would prefer it that way.
Back in 1990, Buono, then the first-year head coach of the Stampeders, hired Hufnagel, then in real-estate in Calgary after a brief stint as a player/coach with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, as his offensive co-ordinator.
The two men -- along with Stamps quarterback coach Jeff Tedford, who's now the head coach at the University of California -- devised an offence that took advantage of quarterback Danny Barrett's mobility and compensated for the Stamps' inability to protect him.
That offence, characterized by the shotgun, multiple-receiver sets and a single or empty backfield, has since become the game's most-copied offensive innovation.
"It all revolved around the fact we couldn't protect the quarterback," said Buono Monday at the Lions' practice facility in Surrey. "I guess you do what you've got to do to survive."
The system kept evolving, Buono recalled. "We went to five receivers and the shotgun [formation], then we went to six receivers. But we used it as our offence, not as a gimmick. It was every play, every week."
And you might say it caught on.
"I still believe to this day that it changed the face of football in North America. You watch the NFL today, the colleges and the CFL, that's what you see. That made people realize you could have a very productive offence with that set."
It certainly made believers in Calgary. The Stamps, who'd been bad for a long time before Buono's arrival, went 11-6-1 in his first year, lost in the Grey Cup game the next year, then added Doug Flutie in '92 and blew the league apart. While they would win only one title with Flutie, the Stamps averaged 14 wins a season between '92 and '96, when Hufnagel left for the Arena league.
The former Penn State star then started his own journey, building a reputation as one of the game's keenest offensive minds. Along the way he coached Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, Tom Brady in a Super Bowl season in New England and Eli Manning with the New York Giants.
He was let go by the Giants following the '06 season. Last December, he was then handed the keys to the operation in Calgary, and the Stamps promptly went 13-5 with the CFL's leading receiver (Ken-Yon Rambo), its leading rusher (Joffrey Reynolds) and its second-ranked quarterback (Henry Burris).
"As much as I can fill a page [with my resumé], I can't fill a page like [Hufnagel]," Buono said.
Still, the two men have remained close over the years and their respect for each other is evident.
When Hufnagel was hired in Calgary, Buono told reporters: "Of all the guys I've worked with, I probably hold John Hufnagel in the highest esteem."
Before the Lions met the Stamps in this season's opening game, Hufnagel told reporters that the biggest influence on his career "is Wally, obviously."
And Saturday, after everything they've accomplished both together and apart, they meet again, rivals on this day, but friends always.
"Now we have to beat the guy who started it all," said Buono.
Which is probably what Hufnagel is telling Stamps.
© The Vancouver Province
It's a good matchup of teams and schemes.
The CFL is a quarterback-driven league. Burris has had what must be his best season, but he has been inconsistent in his career, and his playoff record is not good. Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson are less experienced, but show signs of the potential to reach elite status in this league.
Logan and Reynolds: different styles as RBs, but great results each.
Receivers: edge to Calgary on the achievement for the year, but with Geroy, Paris, and Jason et al our Lions can match up with anyone.
O Line: advantage to B.C. Calgary has gotten great mileage from a line that has started first year players Tsoumpas and Newman.
D Line: advantage B.C. Wake, Hunt, Williams, Johnson and Foley have put huge pressure on offenses all year.
Linebackers: Don't know much about Calgary's crew except that JoJuan Armour is a capable pro. The Lions backers played very well vs Regina. Floyd, Johnson, Glatt, Pottinger, Nande and Dennis will need to play at least as well against Joffrey Reynolds and Henry Burris when they run the ball.
DBs: Against Regina, our DBs played like we had expected them to play all year. Better coverage, better tackling. Burris and Calgary's receivers will give them a much tougher challenge than Bishop and the Riders provided.
Special teams: with Arakgi, Foley, Johnson39, Lumbala, etc. and Paul McCallum and Ian Smart, we are in good shape on STs.
IMO our Lions respond better to playing on the road in the playoffs. None of that home field pressure they seem to feel.
I would call the game a tossup. Prior to the start of the year, most anyone would say the Lions were rated higher. Calgary maxed out their performance and results throughout the season, while the Lions ran hot and cold. It seems the Lions have their game faces on now.
