The ultimate sign of respect for a player is when the other team alters their strategy drastically because of that particular person, or one facet of their opponent’s game.
That is what Nick Downey and the Langley Rams special teams have faced the past few weeks.
Downey leads the B.C. Junior Football Conference with 13 total touchdowns — eight on receptions, three on kickoffs, one on a punt return and one rushing score.
But adding to that total is becoming harder and harder.
For the past two games, both the Chilliwack Huskers and Westshore Rebels have used pooch punts and short kickoffs to keep the ball out of the dynamic Downey’s hands.
The teams’ rationale is they would rather give their defence a chance to defend on a shorter field than try to contain the elusive Downey in open space.
“It is real frustrating,” the 21-year-old said.
“It takes away from our team, and from me, too.
“(But) it does give us better field position.”
He admits it is flattering.
“It shows that I am doing something right (and) that they have respect for me,” Downey said.
Downey says he makes sure to take advantage of the touches he does get.
Against the Rebels on Saturday in the Rams’ home finale at McLeod Park, Downey only got his hands one kickoff, mustering five yards. He touched the ball two other times — once on a brilliant 85-yard double reverse where he out-ran the defence for his 13th touchdown of the season, and then on the game’s final play, when Langley had to score to force overtime. But in that instance, the Rebels were able to quickly bring him down behind the line of scrimmage to hang on for the 35-28 victory.
The scary thing is, Downey didn’t pick up the sport until he was in Grade 11 back in high school in Nova Scotia.
Until then, Downey concentrated his efforts on basketball as a point guard.
A football coach saw him on the court and persuaded him to give the gridiron game a chance.
After starting as a defensive back, he switched to receiver/returner and his game took off.
“I just love having the ball in my hands,” he said.
As for his propensity for finding the end zone, Downey has a hard time describing what he sees.
“My brain just turns off and my feet do the work,” he offered.
“When I get the ball I just think ‘end zone’ and I will do anything I can to get there.
“There is usually one guy who is not in his lane and that is where I run to.”
In week six, the last time a team kicked to him, Downey had the ball in his hands six times, and found the end zone three times.
Since then, teams have been determined to not let that happen.
Two weeks ago, the Rams were able to take advantage of the short field and post the victory.
But on Saturday, they could not take advantage, seeing their four-game win streak come to an end.
Downey wound up with the Rams — the junior football team moved from Surrey to Langley this past off-season — after a year of playing university football at Acadia with the Axemen. He came west with a teammate, Surrey’s Jordan Linnen, who sold him on the BCFC.
And he has ripped up the league since getting here, winning the Canadian junior special teams player of the year in both 2009 and 2010. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
He scored eight touchdowns (five receiving, two punt and one kickoff) in 2009 and nine (four receiving, four punt and one rushing) in 2010.
That gives him 30 touchdowns in three seasons despite getting limited touches on offence and special teams.
Downey hears the knocks from opponents on his size — he if 5-7 and 160 pounds — but does not let that deter him.
“Some people criticize my size but I think my speed makes up for my size,” he said.
“I would never discount his toughness or his strength,” said Rams first-year head coach Jeff Alamolhoda.
“He is really hard to bring down, he is stronger and tougher than guys think.”
For the past two seasons, Alamolhoda was the defensive co-ordinator for the Chilliwack Huskers, so he was accustomed to having to find ways to stop Downey.
“It was more about limiting his touches and taking the big play away from him,” the coach said.
Now that he has seen him on a daily basis for the past few months, Alamolhoda is blown away by Downey’s work ethic.
“I gave the guys a day off to heal up and recuperate mentally and he was the first guy after practice to come up to me and say ‘why aren’t we practising coach?’’ Alamolhoda recalled.
“He was actually upset I had given a day off. He just wants to constantly work to get better.”
“Usually when you see guys that have a skill set like (his) they think sometimes they don’t have to work as hard because they have that skill set. But I think Nick is looking at the bigger picture and where he wants to be in his career.”
Downey is eyeing a shot in the pro game.
That’s the reason he is either in the gym or watching film, anything to help his game.
Downey also credits Game Ready Fitness, which is run by former CFL player Will Loftus, and the B.C. Lions’ Davis Sanchez, for helping his development.
“He has an unforeseen ceiling of how good he really can be because of his work ethic and his skill set. He has everything that it takes,” Alamolhoda said.
