Lions add quarterback Travis Lulay to roster

[Lions Communications]

(Vancouver) The BC Lions Football Club officially announced today that quarterback Travis Lulay has signed with the team.

For all the details: http://bclions.com/article/leos-add-fou ... -to-roster

Travis Lulay bio: http://bclions.com/roster/show/id/2561

[David]

Here's an interesting article on Lulay with some quotes from the quarterback. Note the shoulder surgery which was probably a red flag for some. I'd say he's somewhat of a "project" given that he hasn't played competitively since the Spring of 2007 in NFL Europe, but he definitely lit it up in college and is mobile. I think this is a good signing.


"Lulay signs with CFL’s B.C. Lions

By TIM DUMAS Chronicle Sports Editor

Travis Lulay is trying a third country in order to further his football career.


The former Montana State University record-setting quarterback recently signed a contract to play for the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League.

Lulay said the deal was good for two years plus an option year and is pending a workout he is expected to participate in next weekend. After starting for three and a half years at MSU, he has had three non-playing stints with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and spent a season playing in Germany for now-defunct NFL Europe.

The workout on May 3 at Lake Oswego (Ore.) High School is expected to be a formality before Lulay joins the Lions in British Columbia for pre-season training camp in June.

“I signed on the dotted line,” Lulay said from his Bozeman home on Friday, “so that’s my plan.”

The CFL plays more of a wide-open style of offense, using just three downs instead of the four U.S. college and pro teams use. In addition, CFL fields are 10 yards longer; end zones are also 10 yards longer.

Lulay not only graduated as Montana State’s leading passer (10,746 career yards), he also finished with 1,459 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, which is fourth in program history and the most for a Bobcat QB.

“It’s a fun league,” he said of the CFL. “It was always something I could see myself doing one day. You’re always in shot gun formation and running around and making plays, so that suits my game.”

B.C. is coming off an 11-7 regular season before advancing to the West Division final, where the Lions lost to Calgary 22-18. The Lions’ starting quarterback to begin last season was Buck Pierce, who once backed up former University of Montana standout Dave Dickenson. Pierce was injured early on and was replaced by former Notre Dame and Denver Bronco QB Jarious Jackson before Pierce took the job back, throwing for 2,917 yards and 19 touchdowns in 15 games.

Both QBs return for this season. B.C. has a third quarterback on its roster, Zac Champion, who threw just three passes last season.

“It’s not ideal for a new guy coming in,” Lulay said.

Lulay left Montana State as its career leader in completions (889) and attempts (1,559) as well as passing yardage. His 516 yards against Sacramento State in 2004 is also a school record. His 12,205 total yards fell just 82 shy of the Big Sky Conference’s career mark.

He was signed as a free agent by Seattle in April of 2006 and was cut at the end of training camp. He was signed by the Seahawks a second time and eventually allocated to now defunct NFL Europe, where he was the starter and a captain for the Berlin (Germany) Thunder in 2007. He injured his throwing shoulder near the end of that season and was eventually released by Seattle.

After he was briefly a member of the New Orleans Saints, a team he never suited up for, Lulay was signed to Seattle’s practice squad last October when starting QB Matt Hasselbeck suffered a knee injury. Lulay never appeared in a game and was let go in December.

Lulay had surgery to repair his throwing shoulder in 2007 and hasn’t thrown a pass in a game since.

“It’s probably a question mark,” he said of the injury. “The way I look at it, I just have to prove that it’s fine. It’s not even an issue with me. I can throw all day and be fine.”"

SOURCE: Bozeman Daily Chronicle

DH

[Rammer]

“It’s not ideal for a new guy coming in,” Lulay said.

That is his view in perspective of the Lions depth of QB's, he is correct. However he should remain somewhat optimistic in that he is currently in a better position than what Buck Pierce was in his initial season with the Lions.

[LFITQ]

Guess now we know for sure if WB is gonna give CP a look-see at TC. Ladies and gentlemen we have our 4 QB's for TC.
Buck Pierce
Jarious Jackson
Zac Champion
Travis Lulay

Where it all falls at the end of the TC is anyone's guess. As Rammer says, let's not forget that BP was "training camp fodder" at one time with the Lions.

[B.C.FAN]

Where it all falls at the end of the TC is anyone's guess. As Rammer says, let's not forget that BP was "training camp fodder" at one time with the Lions.

We've seen that it takes only one injury at the quarterback position for "training camp fodder" to make the active roster. Lulay's fate rests largely with the other three quarterbacks.

[WestCoastJoe]

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Late ... story.html

Latest acquisition gives Lions a fourth QB option

By Lyndon Little, Vancouver Sun May 21, 2009 5:43 AM

B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono.Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider, Vancouver SunWally Buono once had some pretty good luck with a quarterback out of the state of Montana named Dave Dickenson. So the head coach and GM of the B.C. Lions probably couldn't resist rolling the dice one more time.

The Lions announced Wednesday they have signed Travis Lulay and will have him on hand when training camp opens June 7 in Abbotsford.

While Lulay played his collegiate ball at Montana State and Dickenson is a University of Montana product, Lulay's record in university football is almost as impressive. When he left Montana State, he held school records for career passing yardage (10,724), completions (889), passing yards in a season (3,485 in 2004) and passing yards in a game (516). He also led his team in rushing yardage in his senior year with 611.

A 6-2, 216-pound native of Salem, Ore., Lulay is just the fifth quarterback in NCAA history to throw for 10,000 yards in a career and run for 1,000. He's the only new pivot the Lions have signed this off season, joining holdovers Buck Pierce, Jarious Jackson and Zac Champion on the Leos' camp roster.

"We had eight free agent camps this off-season and looked at a lot of quarterbacks," said Buono. "Travis was at our camp in Portland, but we've been following him for a couple of years. He doesn't have a cannon for an arm, but he probably gives us the most of what we're looking for."

Since completing his collegiate career in 2005 Lulay has had stints with the New Orleans Saints and in NFL Europe with the Berlin Thunder. Most recently, he spent time on the practice roster of the Seattle Seahawks.

"The [Seahawks] brought him back three times," says Buono. "They must have seen something they liked."

"We had eight free agent camps this off-season and looked at a lot of quarterbacks," said Buono. "Travis was at our camp in Portland, but we've been following him for a couple of years. He doesn't have a cannon for an arm, but he probably gives us the most of what we're looking for."

"... probably give us the most of what we're looking for." Hmmm ... kind of sounds like Training Camp fodder. I would be greatly surprised if he can unseat Zac Champion.

I was wondering about his arm strength. Ricky Ray and Dave Dickenson were not noted for having cannons for arms either.

[Toppy Vann]

It doesn't hurt the Lions to give him a look. They did this with Buck Pierce when we were stacked with QBs and look at how that turned out!

Buck is a special player that doesn't come along every year but unless you look you will never know. I think the Lions are smart to try and bring in a quality 4th guy as generally the battle is to start so the focus is on #1 and #2 and #3 is just assumed to be the incumbent. This way the 3rd guy gets some pressure to perform and the 4th guy helps them measure the 3rd guy's progress a bit as he sure didn't get that chance last season to do it in games - this latter point is not criticism of the Lions by the way.

[pdxlion]

Actually I saw this guy play and he's pretty good. He was noted in college for rallying his team late in games. Also, he was ranked in the top 15 qb's in his class by the NFL coming out of college. If he wouldn't have hurt his shoulder in Europe he very likely would still be in Seattle. I looked up his NFL Combine numbers and he's pretty athletic - could translate very well in the CFL. His 40 time is low 4.6's.

Three-cone
Brett Basanez Northwestern 6.75
Travis Lulay Montana St. 6.94
Jay Cutler Vanerbilt 7.10
Bruce Gradkowski Toledo 7.12
Ingle Martin Furman 7.13

Short shuttle
Travis Lulay Montana St. 4.07
Bruce Gradkowski Toledo 4.16
Ingle Martin Furman 4.17
Brett Basanez Northwestern 4.22
Brodie Croyle Alabama 4.25

Broad jump
Brett Basanez Northwestern 9-foot-6
Ingle Martin Furman 9-foot-3
Travis Lulay Montana St. 9-foot-3
Darrell Hackney Alabama-Birmingham 9-foot-2
Omar Jacobs Bowling Green 9-foot

[Rammer]

Not being familiar with the depth of NFL QB'ing, where is Brett Basanez playing. Given that he won two of those events, and placed second in the other, he should be starring in the NFL by now, correct?

[pdxlion]

Not being familiar with the depth of NFL QB'ing, where is Brett Basanez playing. Given that he won two of those events, and placed fourth in the other, he should be starring in the NFL by now, correct?

He's with the bears. btw - the only thing I was saying about lulay is that he's athletic and that it could translate very well.

[Rammer]

Not being familiar with the depth of NFL QB'ing, where is Brett Basanez playing. Given that he won two of those events, and placed fourth in the other, he should be starring in the NFL by now, correct?

He's with the bears. btw - the only thing I was saying about lulay is that he's athletic and that it could translate very well.

With the Canadian field being 10 yards wider, he needs to have a good arm as well as the foot speed. I hope he lights it up and forces the Lions hands into keeping here, just that most of those stats for a QB don't necessarily translate into W's. We have seen many high profile QB's from college or the NFL fail miserably, so I will wait and see if Lulay can play.

[Lions4ever]

Not being familiar with the depth of NFL QB'ing, where is Brett Basanez playing. Given that he won two of those events, and placed fourth in the other, he should be starring in the NFL by now, correct?

He's with the bears. btw - the only thing I was saying about lulay is that he's athletic and that it could translate very well.

Basanez impressed me in his Northwestern days. He might well end up in the #2 spot in Chicago. Certainly Lulay's numbers are pretty close to his.

[MisterJones]

I thought we were interested in two quarterbacks from the state of Montana? What happened to the other one?

[Rids]

I hope he lights it up and forces the Lions hands into keeping here, just that most of those stats for a QB don't necessarily translate into W's. We have seen many high profile QB's from college or the NFL fail miserably, so I will wait and see if Lulay can play.

Isn't it interesting that the only real big hype aspect of the CFL is when we see teams bring up quarterbacks? Honestly they could've played at Podunk College and because they set a record in game 5 of the season it'll be hyped beyond belief and then they quietly send the poor chap back home after his tenure as training camp fodder is over. Happens every year to a bunch of players. My favorite this year is Juan Joseph, who not only was hyped as a pre-NFL draft signing of the 2nd best scrambling QB in the NCAA but even got traded before seeing the field.