Winnipeg Blue Bombers' slotback Milt Stegall is on the cusp of CFL history. (Canadian Press)
Analysis
TD record looms large for Milt Stegall
Blue Bomber 2 touchdowns from history
Last Updated Wed., June. 27, 2007
Doug Harrison, CBC Sports
Slotback Milt Stegall said all the right things last fall as he approached the Canadian Football League's all-time mark of 137 touchdowns.
"Milt Stegall is not talking about a touchdown record," the Winnipeg Blue Bombers veteran told reporters. "There's a lot more important things than me breaking the record."
Capturing that elusive first Grey Cup championship probably tops the list after Stegall and his teammates fell 31-27 to the Toronto Argonauts last Nov. 5 in the East semifinal.
But as Stegall prepares for a 13th CFL campaign, the focus shifts back to his pursuit of the touchdown mark shared by running backs Mike Pringle and Hall of Famer George Reed.
With 136 career majors, Stegall could make history on June 28 in the Blue Bombers' season opener against the hometown Edmonton Eskimos.
"I'm not upset about it," Reed said on a conference call. "In fact, I laud him [Stegall] for being able to last long enough to do it. He's had an outstanding career. I've followed him for quite a while now.
"Nothing like that upsets me or anything else. I had a long and great career. I did a lot of good things. The record has stood for a long time."
Pringle, who retired at age 37 after the 2004 season, told CBC Sports Online he isn't surprised the record could fall just two years later.
"I knew it would be broken," said Pringle, who holds league standards for rushing yards (16,425) and yards from scrimmage (20,254). "It's not a record I thought a lot about, but not because it doesn't mean a lot. It's just one of those records that happened. I found a nose for the end zone later in my career."
Pringle said he got to know Stegall during his illustrious 13-year career and is happy the receiver could soon hold the title of all-time touchdown leader.
"He's a throwback-type athlete the way he approaches the game — he's tough, hard-nosed and professional," said Pringle of Stegall, who has spent his entire CFL career in Winnipeg. "I wish him all the luck when he does [break the record]."
But Pringle cautioned that Stegall's chase of the record could become a distraction if it stretches a few weeks into the season.
"You want to get it over as quick as possible," said Pringle, who scored his 137th career major with a two-touchdown effort for Edmonton on Oct. 11, 2004. "It's a good story and the media has to do what it has to do, but once it is over the pressure is off Milt and he can play more relaxed."
Stegall, a five-time CFL all-star, would love to shatter the record as soon as possible.
"It would be nice to have it happen this first game," said Stegall, who plans to give the record-tying football to the Blue Bombers and the record-breaking football to his wife and son. "It would be even nicer to have it happen at home, but we're just trying to win the games. If it happens within the scheme of our game plan, that would be great."
Injury delayed record pursuit
Stegall, 37, will start the season with 13,587 career reception yards after leading the Blue Bombers with 79 catches for 1,269 yards in 14 games a year ago.
He appeared well on his way to the record with four touchdowns in his first seven games, but then missed the month of August nursing a knee injury.
In each of his final five starts, Stegall failed to haul in more than four passes and managed just 17 yards on two catches in the final game of the season, a 26-16 setback to the hometown B.C. Lions on Oct. 28.
During the first week of this year's training camp in early June, the six-foot-one, 185-pound Stegall said he was 99.9 per cent sure this would be his final CFL season.
And to capture all the memorable moments, Stegall plans to document the season as much as possible during his travels.
"I just want to take it all in," he told the Winnipeg Sun, "because I'll probably take so many hits this year and I want to be able to remember it, so I'll have it down on paper."
Blue Bombers fans hope touchdown No. 138 is among Stegall's first entries.
