Dreams do come true, and it’s every kids dream to play in the NFL. That day may still come for Travis Lulay who is busy living his own dream leading the BC-Lions of the CFL-Canadian Football League.
Lulay, who turns 30 in September, has done well after his 5th year as Quarterback for the British Columbia Lions.
He may not be a living room name to many football fans, or may not have the last name Manning, Rodgers, or Romo, but was Lulay has is moxy, talent, and a desire to make the big time where he is.
The Regis High School (Stayton, Or.) graduate has already earned the CFL’s ‘Most Oustanding Player’ award, and won the prestigous ‘Grey Cup’ CFL Championship in 2011. Lulay led the Lions to their 6th Grey Cup in franchise history by beating Winnipeg.
Lulay has thrown for 76 career touchdowns through last Saturday’s win at Edmonton where the Lions beat the Eskimos, 17-3. The Lions are off to a 2-1 record to start the 2013 season.
The CFL plays 18-regular season games and ends the regular season on November 1st before embarking on two weeks of playoffs before the ‘101st Grey Cup’ on November 24th.
Among the other noticeable differences from the CFL to the NFL is the field is 12-yards wider and 10-yards longer, plus the end zones are 10-yards deeper .
The CFL operates with just 3-downs of play vs the traditional 4th down, and each team plays with 12 eligible players on both sides of the football. And, the goal posts are at the goal line in the CFL whereas in the NFL the posts are at the end line of the end zone.
Lulay has adjusted quite nicely to the CFL style where he has completed no less then 58% of his passes as a pro, and he has thrown for 4,231 and 4,815 yards in the last two seasons, respectively.
The CFL gunslinger was All-State at Regis HS, then went on to an outstanding collegiate career at Montana State where he threw for over 8,600 yards and 44 touchdowns earning All-Big Sky honors.
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The Oregon native comes from a a family of very good athletes where his uncle Doug Lulay led OCE (Oregon College of Education in Monmouth), now Western Oregon University, to the NAIA National playoffs in 1978.
Bend HS Athletic Director Craig Walker was a starting lineman for that #6 ranked college team. Doug also played pro baseball with the San Diego Padres minor league system. His other uncle Larry Kuedell succeeded uncle Doug as QB at OCE.
For Lulay’s success in BC, the Lions extended his contract for 3-years with a gauranteed 2-years at $900,00. Certainly that salary is what most NFL backup QB’s make, but Lulay is happy to be in the CFL after trying the NFL earlier with both the Saints and Seahawks.
For now, home for Lulay is in Vancouver, British Columbia and the CFL. But, I’m sure most NFL GM’s have Lulay’s phone number in their iPhone, just in the event they need some insurance with a proven QB.
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