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February 17, 2017

Matt Coates | An Unconventional Road

Hamilton Tigercats' Matt Coates, centre, celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter with Terrell Sinkfield Jr., right, against the Toronto Argonauts during first half CFL action in Toronto on Friday, September 11, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim

Matt Coates scratched his name onto a contract with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this week and, with that, the next chapter in a unique story will soon unfold.

Now, every player on every Canadian Football League roster has a tale to tell about how they got here. A parent who steered them to the game… a coach who mentored them… an opportunity denied down south… a trade… being drafted…

And then there is the story Coates is writing.

Consider his football timeline; going from the Markham High School Marauders, to giving up tackle football to pursue a career as an electrician, to the Toronto Toros flag football team, to the Hamilton Hurricanes of the Canadian Junior Football League, to the New Mexico Military Institute Broncos, back to the Hurricanes, then to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

And now to the Bombers.

Yes, there is the road less travelled. And then there is the road Coates hacked and chopped through the forest himself to get where he is today.

“I know,” began Coates this week with a chuckle, “it’s a different route, isn’t it?”

You could say that.

Ticats' Matt Coates catches a ball in warm up for game with The Argonauts CFL action in Hamilton on Monday, Sept.  5th, 2016.  (CFL PHOTO - Dave Chidley)

Back during his high-school days, Coates was contacted by most Ontario universities and a few in Quebec about continuing his career at the CIS level. He was a two-time MVP of the Marauders, after all, and at 6-2 and now 200 pounds, fit the physical specs coaches crave at the receiver position.

But the Coates are electricians by trade – his father runs his own company – and Matt figured he’d follow along in his dad’s footsteps.

“I’m a hands-on guy and don’t want to be sitting at a desk all day,” Coates explained. “I felt I could play university ball, but it was hard to get to the CFL and I didn’t want to risk missing out on a great career as an electrician for a degree I might not be satisfied with or happy about.

“I guess you could say I had moved on from football, even though I was only 18, and I was going to continue on with my plan to be an electrician.

“I wasn’t thinking about the CFL at all then.”

It was while he was playing with the Toros – the flag football team – that he was spotted by Hurricanes head coach Jay Hayes, who then offered him an invitation to training camp. Twice, it turns out, before Coates agreed to attend.

What began then was his odyssey from the flag football fields through setting a CJFL record for touchdowns in a season, to a year on the Ticats practice roster and their active roster. His metamorphosis took time, but also brought the appreciation of teammates.

Consider this quote from Ticats quarterback Zach Collaros in 2015 and courtesy of  The Toronto Sun:

“When you ask me about Bakari (Grant) and Luke (Tasker) and Andy (Fantuz), the first thing that comes to mind is that they are dependable and reliable. He is right there with those guys. He is a guy I want on the field with me… everybody trusts him.”

Hamilton Tiger-Cats wide receiver Matt Coates (81) makes an interception on a pass meant for Edmonton Eskimos safety Raye Hartmann (20) during the second half of CFL football action in Hamilton, Ontario on Saturday, September 19, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power

That’s high praise. Still, in the 34 games Coates dressed for the Ticats over three seasons, he saw only spot duty in the receiving corps. He’ll have to work his way up the Bomber depth chart, too, what with Julian Feoli-Gudino having started last year’s playoff game in place of Rory Kohlert – now with the Calgary Stampeders – and Addison Richards fighting for the starting Canadian wide receiver job.

The Bombers see Coates, who is still pursuing becoming an electrician in the offseason, as an interesting addition. He’s raw in terms of numbers, but has been working with a pro team for three years now. That makes him part project, part prospect, part polished pro.

“It just seems like a great fit for me, the right choice for me to make and the best choice,” said Coates of signing with the Bombers. “This is the next best step for my career.”

“Coming from junior I was a prospect. I had to learn a lot of things and a lot of the little aspects of the game. I had to grow mentally, too. I think I’ve done that. I’m thankful for the Hamilton organization for giving me that shot to grow as a player. That helped me. In the last year or so I just think I need an opportunity to be out there and become a go-to guy who can make some plays here and there.

“I think I can be a really good fit with this shot.”