Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie launches a pass during the CFL East Division final against the Toronto Argonauts on Nov. 18. He'll get the most important start of his career in Sunday's Grey Cup final against Saskatchewan. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press
Feature
The Blue Bombers from Boise State
Dinwiddie, Hall winners: former coach
Last Updated Wed., Nov. 21, 2007
Chris Iorfida, CBC Sports
Ryan Dinwiddie was a hero for his high school football team in California, leading the Elk Grove Thundering Herd to a 27-1 record in two years as quarterback.
His reputation grew at the college level at Boise State, where the team won 32 of 37 games in his three years as a starter.
Dinwiddie will merely have to go 1-0 to forever win the hearts of Winnipeg Blue Bomber football fans.
The six-foot-one, 190-pound Dinwiddie finds himself among the unlikeliest of starters in Grey Cup history, taking the helm in Sunday's game after Kevin Glenn broke his arm in the CFL East final against Toronto.
Dan Hawkins, who coached Dinwiddie as well as Winnipeg linebacker Cam Hall at Boise State, thinks the quarterback has the pedigree to play on Canadian football's biggest stage.
"He was just such a great player when the lights went on," Hawkins told CBCSports.ca. "I think the bigger the game, the better player he is, I really believe that.
"His gamesmanship is just unbelievable."
Hawkins points to "titanic" shootouts against Western Athletic Conference rivals Hawaii and Fresno State. As well, Dinwiddie led the Broncos to three straight bowl game wins between 2001-03.
Accuracy, vision are Dinwiddie's assets
Many Saskatchewan boosters think the Grey Cup result is a formality when their Green Rider defenders bear down on the green quarterback.
Hawkins said the pivot, who earned the nickname "Dime-widdie" in practice for his ability to complete the tight throws, is used to being underestimated.
"He's one of those people you look at and go 'Huh?'" he said. "He's not real tall and he's not real thick and he's not a Doug Flutie run-around guy like that, [but] the guy is extremely accurate and can really see the field."
Dinwiddie, who will turn 27 two days after the Grey Cup, threw for 9,819 yards in college, with 82 touchdowns and just 22 interceptions.
But not possessing the initial "wow factor" Dinwiddie so far has led the life of a journeyman quarterback, with stops from Chicago to Berlin to Montreal.
Hall's redemption
Hall has found his place with Winnipeg's linebacker corps after reaching the city on a path less circuitous, but more difficult, than Dinwiddie's.
Hall excelled in his rookie year in the CFL this season, tying for sixth in the league with 77 tackles, and adding two quarterback sacks and two fumble recoveries.
"When I think about Cam, I think about just a variety of plays," said Hawkins. "Of blitzing, of tackling, of intercepting, of blocking kicks, doing all those kind of things for you."
Former Boise State coach Dan Hawkins, seen here patrolling the sidelines for Colorado, is confident Dinwiddie and Hall will have success at the 95th Grey Cup. (David Zalubowski/Associated Press)
Hawkins, who has been at the University of Colorado the past two seasons, was forced to make a difficult decision to reinstate Hall after the player was charged in connection with a fatal car accident in May 2005 involving two other cars.
"I really believed in the kid and I'm not a soft guy and I'm not a guy that's going to have criminals on my football team or people that I believe are heinous guys," he said.
Police alleged Hall was racing one of the drivers, Mark Lazinka, although vehicular manslaughter charges were eventually dropped. Lazinka was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Tony Perfect, the third driver, was killed along with his wife and infant. Toxicology reports later revealed that Perfect had methamphetamine and alcohol in his system at the time of the crash.
Hall, 24, spent two months in jail for leaving the scene of an accident and was placed on five years' probation.
Having faced adversity on and off the field, Dinwiddie and Hall will be now under pressure to come up big for Winnipeg, a situation Hawkins said the duo can handle.
"I think probably more than anything else you're looking at two guys who are used to winning, that expect to win and know how to prepare to win."
More on the CFL
- Grey Cup ode for O'Day
- Grey Cup Photo Gallery
- Grey Cup Trivia
- Preview: Grey Cup
- Head-to-head statistics
- Terrence Edwards has sights on Grey Cup
- Bombers' front four face challenge stopping Joseph
- Saskatchewan secondary follows Eddie Davis
- Q&A: Barrin Simpson
- Roughriders' Gene Makowsky bleeds green and white
- Troy Westwood gets another kick at the Grey Cup can
- Boise Bombers: College teammates have winning spirit
- Nick Setta hopes to stay in Hamilton
- Corey Holmes happy to be back in Saskatchewan
- B.C.'s offensive line is front and centre
- Argos' little guy makes big strides
- McCallum is McClutch
- Preview: East Division final
- Preview: West Division final
- CBCSports.ca's 2007 CFL all-star team
- Friedman: CFL, union weigh in on Jimenez suspension
- Khari Jones: Who is nice, who is nasty
- Roundtable: CFL year-end awards
- Friedman: Jimenez suspension a CFL low point
- Khari Jones: "Funtastic" games within the games
- Andy Fantuz leads Saskatchewan out of mid-season slump
- Westwood boots Bombers past Alouettes
- Joseph propels Riders to CFL West final
