ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
OAKVILLE – As it relates to football, Argos rookie Ejiro Kuale knows exactly who he is.
“More than anything, he brings an intensity from what he does on special teams. You watch him on special teams and he just knocks guys out. He’s finally starting to get the hang of it, he had a couple huge hits on some guys. If anything, It makes them aware that there is another headhunter out there.”
– Argos OT Rob Murphy on the addition of DE Ejiro Kuale to the offensive side of the ball.
“I am a linebacker. I have always been a linebacker and nothing has changed,” he told argonauts.ca with a smile.
Linebacker may, in fact, be the only position Kuale hasn’t played this year. The Louisiana State product has spent the majority of his first CFL season as a reserve defensive end and a menace on special teams. He added punter to his resume, well sort of, when he booted a single point at the end of the second quarter in a week 2 game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Now Kuale has made the transition to the offensive side of the ball, playing what can best be described as a hybrid position that encompasses the qualities of a tight end, fullback and slotback.
It is a position that took some time to adjust to but Kuale has no reservations in executing.
“I’ve been playing both sides of the ball my whole life but it has been predominantly defence,” he said. “As long as we keep winning it doesn’t matter [where I play].”
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The 6-foot-2, 240-pound native of Daytona Beach, Florida is not your prototypical offensive player. He is an imposing figure who has made a name for himself primarily on special teams as a disciplined blocker on returns and a heavy hitter on coverage.
In practice, he still dons a white jersey which signifies defensive players, but takes a lot more offensive reps than a rush end should. One could say that he is on loan from the defence in certain offensive packages, and Kuale believes that being trained as a defensive player undoubtedly gives him an advantage.
“The edge is me being a defender,” he said. I have a linebacker’s mentality so when you are on the other side of the ball, I have a good idea as to what they are going to do.”
Kuale was used sparingly at his new position in the Argos’ final regular season game in Montreal but saw significant time in last week’s Eastern Semi-Final in Hamilton where he was used to neutralize one of the league’s best in Tiger-Cats defensive end, Stevie Baggs.
All-star OT Rob Murphy was the Argonauts’ o-lineman that saw the most time matching up against Baggs and admits that his job became a lot easier when Kuale joined him as a blocker.
“In the last game, ‘EJ’ cracked Baggs within the first two series and the rest of the game, I went up against him and he didn’t do anything,” Murphy said. “[Baggs] was very conscious of what was around him and it definitely took a sting out of him. It made my job and Chris’ [Van Zeyl] jobs really easy.”
Murphy understands that Kuale is naturally suited for the other side of the ball and that it is going to take time for him to truly get acclimated to the offence. He also believes that there is one intangible that Kuale brings that cannot be taught on either side of the line of scrimmage.
“More than anything, he brings an intensity from what he does on special teams,” Murphy continued. “You watch him on special teams and he just knocks guys out. He’s finally starting to get the hang of it, he had a couple huge hits on some guys. If anything, It makes them aware that there is another headhunter out there.”