Photo by Will Huang
Golden Hawk guard Tommy Griffiths is on the road to the Canadian Football League.
As a guard, Griffiths possesses size, speed and athleticism. His ability to open holes for the run, combined dangerous pull technique in space provided Dillion Campbell with the means to claim the national rushing title.
“It’s like everything that you’ve worked on for the last six, seven, eight years finally coming true. And now it’s actually happening. It’s pretty surreal,” Griffiths, who has been at Wilfrid Laurier University for six years, said.
Head coach Michael Faulds acknowledged Griffiths’ fire and passion for the game.
“Even before games he’s really pumped up he’s really lively. He’s a good leader and he leads by example,” he said.
“I think I’m a high energy guy. I mean I’m bouncing around here hitting guys in the face. Trying to get under everyone’s skin. My biggest thing is just having fun out there,” Griffiths added.
Faulds said he believes Griffiths’ stout work ethic has shined through at Laurier.
“He’s a gym rat; he’s one of those guys that’s going to work extremely hard in the weight room and on the field and he’s got a competitive spirt about him,” he said.
When Griffiths joined the gold and purple he made his start on the other side of the ball. However, the coaching staff thought his future was more optimistic as an offensive guard.
“The interesting thing about Tommy is his first four years at Laurier he was a defensive lineman and he really had CFL aspirations,” said Faulds. “We told him, as the coaching staff, that if you really want to get to the CFL your best bet is going to be as an offensive linemen.”
According to Griffiths, the switch from defence to offence involved overhauling his game, including changes in footwork, hand placement, stance and strategy. However, experience on both ends of the ball provides him with a slight advantage.
“Switching over to offence that was probably the best situation because when you play defence for so long you can start seeing what’s happening,” Griffiths said. “When I go out there I can see a defence formation and understand what they’re trying to do and then react to it, knowing what we’re trying to do on offence.”
Griffiths attended the Toronto Argonauts training camp last season. He was not signed to the team but gained knowledge of the game at a professional level.
“I mean it helped my development more than anything. But it was so last minute that I kind of felt I was just a camp body. Where everything with Winnipeg is happening before the draft,” said Griffiths.
With Winnipeg’s Blue Bombers, Griffith feels he is more than just a “camp body.”
“It just kind of gives you that feeling of desire — that they wanted me. It feels like there’s a better opportunity of playing time in terms of getting in there. And I mean the Bombers have such a great history and fan base behind them,” he said.
The future is holding a world of possibilities for Griffith, and he attributes that to Laurier.
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I wouldn’t want to be at another place. This is where you come to play football,” he said.
