SOURCE: VANCOUVER SUN 8/11/09wrote:VANCOUVER — Ryan Grice-Mullen and Joe Theismann. There’s two names you probably never thought you’d see used together. And no wonder. The former being a 22-year-old receiver with dreadlocks; the latter a clean-cut quarterback who hasn’t played a down since before Grice-Mullen was born.
But somehow Wally Buono managed to do it on Monday. The B.C. Lions general manager and coach was making a point Grice-Mullen shouldn’t think any less of himself as the Lions’ returner than he would as an every-down receiver.
“The punt returner and kick returner is as valuable as any offensive player, maybe more so than any offensive player other than the quarterback,” said Buono, following a wet mid-day practice at the Lions training facility in Surrey. “I sense sometimes that the returner is considered the least of all the offensive players when in actuality it’s the opposite.”
Wait for it.
“Joe Theismann was a returner before he was an NFL quarterback,” continued Buono, in reference to the former CFL star who cracked the Washington Redskins roster first as a punt returner before making his name behind the centre.
“Grice-Mullen can be a great returner before he can ever be a great receiver.”
It’s a whole new way of thinking for the University of Hawaii star.
“In college my head coach really didn’t want me back returning kicks and punts because I was too valuable to the offence — I was one of his main guys,” said Grice-Mullen. “But it’s different here. Here, it’s about the best guy to help your team have success.”
It could be worse. A case of the dropsies had the usually sure-handed Grice-Mullen on the inactive roster three weeks ago. He very well could still be there, if not for Ian Smart’s knee injury in Week 4.
“It could have been a tougher sell if he went from being receiver to returner,” said Buono. “I don’t know if it was a tough sell, having taken him off the roster and putting him back on.
“At the end of the day, they all want to contribute and play.”
The native of Rialto, Calif., had 82 return yards against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats two weeks ago and followed it up with 160 return yards in Friday’s 35-20 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Place.
After looking at the game tape, Buono and Grice-Mullen both said it should have been more.
“I’m a little mad I didn’t break a couple of them,” said RGM, whose longest run back was a 36-yard kick return. “But I think I helped the offence a little with field position so that’s good. As long as I’m contributing it’s all good.”
Grice-Mullen was both fielding kicks and being used as a receiver out of the backfield in Monday’s training session, held under a steady rain.
You can expect him to be used in a similar capacity when the Lions travel east to play the Toronto Argonauts on Friday at Rogers Centre.
“Ryan brings speed to the backfield and has a lot of big playability if we use him the right way,” said Lions starting quarterback Buck Pierce, who is coming off his best performance to date this season going 26-of-34 for 215 yards and one touchdown against the Riders. “Returning punts and kicks as well as receiving — that’s a lot of hits on a guy.”
Especially when the guy stands 5-11 and 180-pounds. That’s with his cleats on and accounting for all his hair.
But first you have to catch him. The dude regularly clocks 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Some reporters cars don’t go that fast.
“You have to be blind not to see his speed,” said Buono. “And one thing about this game is the width of the field can be taken advantage of with speed.”
Smart underwent an arthroscopic procedure last week to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. He was rehabbing on the stationary bike Monday and said he is hopeful for a return in time for next week’s home game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
“If I’m not back next week, I’ll definitely be ready for the next one,” said Smart, referring to B.C.’s Sept. 4 date with the Montreal Alouettes. “Ryan’s doing a good job and getting it done. He really brought a spark in the last game.”
If that’s not enough to convince Grice-Mullen of his worth as a returner, maybe this will. His 10 returns against the Roughriders equalled seven more touches that he had in three games last season.
“I think he’s bought into it,” said Buono.
“It’s simple really.”
iwalker@vancouversun.com
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