Coming into the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ Week 12 matchup with the BC Lions, receiver Nick Mardner had only been targeted 12 times, picking up 95 yards in the process.
The second-overall pick in the most recent CFL draft possesses tantalizing potential, showing flashes of it during his collegiate career, with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, the Cincinnati Bearcats, and the Auburn Tigers. Though not the tallest target in the league, Mardner quickly drew attention as a potential redzone threat in Ottawa, but early in his career, it hadn’t worked that way.
Not seeing much of the ball on game day, Mardner’s teammates never allowed him to take his eyes off the prize, with quarterback Dru Brown saying the veterans have been hard on him, adding that if he chooses to, he could be special.
“It gives me flashbacks of my freshman year of college,” Mardner explained. “I’m hyper-focused on the mistakes I make, and how I can get better from them. Being the young guy in the room is a cool feeling, because I’ve come from being the oldest at Auburn, and the veterans are taking me under their wing. They’re hard on me, but that’s what I expect from them.”
Last week, Mardner finally got to reap the rewards he’s sown in practice, taking the first play from scrimmage in the second half for a touchdown, on a 64-yard catch and run, no less.
“Once I made the first guy miss, I knew I was taking it to the crib, I just needed Ack to get hands on a dude for a quick second,” Mardner said. “I trust in my speed, and I’ve been in situations like that before, so it was nothing new. There were some jitters and emotion, but it’s good memories.”
The six-foot-six wideout doesn’t often have the chance to flex his 4.46 40-yard dash time, but the cat is out of the bag now, whether he toots his own horn or not: Mardner is fast.
Crossing the goal line, Mardner fired the football off an advertising banner in the back of the endzone, as emotions overcame him at the moment.
“[I did it] out of passion,” Mardner said. “It has been a long road to get to that point, and there were a lot of emotions that came out.”
Later in the third quarter, Brown once again found his massive target over the middle of the field, and Mardner skipped into the endzone for his second touchdown – and third reception – of the night. It’s a boost for him, of course, but multiple scores in a single game go a long way with teammates and coaches, as well.
“It boosts your confidence,” Mardner said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in the endzone, and it helps my teammates and coaches know that they can trust me, so it’s a really good thing overall.”
The celebrations afterward are something he’ll never forget, feeling love from every direction.
“It was all love,” Mardner said. “Everyone knows it has been a work in progress. I started off slow trying to get the playbook down, and adjust to the CFL speed, but as time has gone on, I’ve gotten better, and my teammates have helped me get there. They weren’t surprised because they’ve seen how hard I’ve worked.”
Now more adjusted to the CFL game, Mardner is the first to admit the learning process is far from over, and doesn’t consider himself a star by any means. That takes some time, and for now, he’s content doing the little things, chipping in when called upon.
“We’re like the Avengers,” Mardner said. “You have guys like Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man, who everybody loves and cheers for, and that’s kind of like Justin Hardy, Jaelon Acklin, and Dominique Rhymes, the big guys. Then you have a guy like me who sneaks in there and gets the dirty work done, and I’m fully willing to do that, I’m not chasing numbers.”
Preparing for a rematch with the Lions in Touchdown Pacific, the REDBLACKS are without Acklin, Bralon Addison, and Kalil Pimpleton, creating changes to the roster, but it’s not something Mardner is stressing about.
“Everybody has to step up,” he said. “I don’t see it as pressure, it’s an opportunity to pick us up when we’re down, and help my team get another win.”
