Tanner Doll is one snap of the ball from playing in the Grey Cup.
The long snapper from St. Albert will perform his specialty with the Ottawa RedBlacks in Sunday’s east division final against the defending Canadian Football League champion Edmonton Eskimos. Kickoff is 11 a.m. at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa
The winner advances to the 104th Grey Cup Nov. 27 at BMO Field in Toronto.
“It’s pretty exciting. It’s a crazy time right now,” Doll told the Gazette in Wednesday’s phone interview.
“My family is coming out this weekend for the game so that’s going to be awesome but at the end of the day, I just have to approach it like another game mentally. Of course, there is heightened emotion along with it being the east final and playing against the hometown team but at the end of the day it’s another day at work and that’s the way you have to approach it.”
Doll, 23, has been a fixture in the Ottawa lineup after playing his first CFL regular-season game Sept. 17 against the Calgary Stampeders.
“It’s been great. It’s been definitely a long road but it’s kind of been storybook so far. I got my first start against Calgary in Calgary, which is where I also went to university, so I got to have my first game in front of family and friends and I’ve been starting ever since,” said the high school football product of the St. Albert High Skyhawks.
“When it’s your first pro game that’s pretty exciting and when you’re first pro game is back where you played college is pretty cool too and to have your whole family there is awesome so that’s a blessing,” added Doll of his CFL debut in the 48-23 loss to the Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. “I was definitely excited but when the game started nothing else mattered except what was on the field. You’ve got to approach it as business as usual.”
Selected in the fourth round, 28th overall, by Ottawa in the 2015 CFL draft, Doll was a training camp intern last year before rejoining the Calgary Dinos to complete his final season of Canadian university eligibility.
This year Doll was put on the practice roster after training camp ended.
Both years he saw pre-season action.
“(On the practice roster) we partake in all the practices and you’re around the field during the games, you’re just not playing, so for me the first couple of weeks it was obviously tough not playing but that’s part of the process. I was just trying to get better every week but at the same time you’re watching guys that you grew up watching on TV and you’re competing for a job like they are,” said the 2015 Canada West all-star linebacker. “As an athlete you always want to compete, you always want to play and you always want to do the best so I was very happy that I got asked to be on the practice roster. I took advantage of that situation they put me in and I would like to say it worked out pretty good for both sides so far.”
Ottawa went 3-5 after Doll replaced Kevin Malcolm, the team’s long snapper for a season and a half, and finished 8-9-1 overall.
“It’s been really good so far. We got first place in the east so we got the bye into the east final so now we just have to win and that’s where our focus is at right now,” said the RedBlacks’ No. 52 with the golden mane of hair flowing out the back of his helmet.
Doll’s ultimate responsibility as the long snapper is not to misfire the ball to the kicker lined up behind him.
“It’s what I do and what I enjoy. I’ve also been snapping a football in between my legs since 2004 so it’s kind of second nature at this point,” said the six-foot, 221-pound centre of attention on special teams. “For a punt snap I’m trying to snap the ball to the punter’s right hip because our guy is a right foot kicker. I want a perfect spiral to his right hip and I think around .72 seconds was my average today in practice.
“So I snap the ball back 15 yards and then block and run down field and tackle.”
His goal for field-goal snaps is .3 seconds.
“I’ll snap a ball so the holder won’t have to move his hands with the laces upright. That’s what I’m looking for so it’s very, very detail orientated,” Doll said.
“We’re called specialists because we’re specialized. We always say it’s less physical and more mental,” he continued. “It’s fun. I’ve been having an awesome time doing what I do every day so far.”
Making his mark in the CFL has been a dream come true for Doll, a Team Alberta player at the 2010 Football Canada Cup and former World Team player at the International Federation of American Football U19 and U20 championships while with the Dinos, the team he rose to prominence with that included a breakthrough performance at the 2013 Vanier Cup with 12.5 total tackles in the 25-14 loss to the host Laval Rouge et Or.
“I get to wake up and play football every day with Henry Burris,” Doll said. “Every day I take it as a blessing what I’m doing and try and get better every day.”
Doll also gave a shout-out to his high school football team, as the Skyhawks battle the Holy Rosary Raiders of Lloydminster in today’s Tier III provincial north final at noon at Clarke Park.
“I always have my ear to the floor with the Skyhawks and I wish them the best.”
