海角社区官网

Since Williams retired in 2000 鈥� having set more than 20 CFL records for punt and kick returns, including 31 return touchdowns 鈥� it鈥檚 been a mostly fruitless search for a long-term returner to give some punch to the Edmonton Elks’ return game.

In the last 10 years Edmonton has had only one return touchdown 鈥� in 2023 by Deontez Alexander, who played only two games for the team.

The latest to try is Javon Leake, who last year had the fastest recorded speed by a ball carrier in professional football. He had some success last season, but never reached the end zone.

鈥淚鈥檓 back at returner and I鈥檝e got a point to prove this year,鈥� said Leake, who joined the team last year and can only imagine the feeling of a return touchdown. 鈥淢an, here with coach (Mark) Kilam and knowing the returner who was here, Gizmo, it鈥檚 going to feel amazing.鈥�

While it is one of the most exciting plays in football, returning a kick for any substantial gain, let alone a touchdown, takes a co-ordinated and efficient effort by lot more players than just the one with the ball.

鈥淭here are a lot of things that have to go right,鈥� said Kilam, a highly respected special teams coach before assuming the head coaching job with the Elks this winter. 鈥淭welve guys have to do their job.鈥�

It starts with the returners first step and becomes successful when everyone involved executes properly. That first step, said Leake, is important in creating misdirection for the kicking team.

鈥淛ust selling it, making the defence go one way, just setting up your return, setting up your blocks,鈥� Leake said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of points that go into it, but the important one is that first step.鈥�

Then he counts on his teammates to execute their blocks correctly to create the hole he needs to break through the initial wall of defenders.

鈥淭hen me trusting my guys that they鈥檙e blocking down the field and then just hitting it, the vertical.鈥�

Elks linebacker Josiah Schakel says the blocking team has to know where the returner is headed so they can block the defenders away from the direction of the play.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e reading the returner,鈥� he says. 鈥淚f he decides to go one way, you鈥檙e trying to flip your block the other way.鈥�

And when everybody does their job, says Leake and Schakel, it can be electrifying for fans and teammates.

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing better,鈥� said Leake. 鈥淭he whole crowd goes crazy; the sideline goes crazy. I feel like there鈥檚 no better play than a missed field goal return, or a regular punt or kick return.鈥�

鈥淐oach Kilam always talks about the best play in the CFL, the missed field goal return,” added Schakel. “That鈥檚 a 10-point swing. That鈥檚 why the fans get excited. You can watch it, when someone begins to return a field goal, the fans start raising as they realize, 鈥楬ey, this is going for a touchdown.鈥� 鈥�

And, he adds, there鈥檚 personal satisfaction as well.

鈥淢an, when you get a great block and you know you鈥檙e won that battle, you feel good inside and you鈥檙e readying to go for the next play.鈥�

And when, or if, Leake or a teammate does return a punt, kick or missed field goal for a touchdown, it will be, said Schakel, 鈥渁mazing.鈥�

鈥淚 feel like the whole team will light up if we start returning kicks. That鈥檚 just going to change our game. We鈥檙e a three-phase team so if special teams can contribute to scoring that鈥檚 going to help the whole team.鈥�

No decisions have been made on who will be returning kicks for the Elks, largely because Kilam hasn鈥檛 had the opportunity to really study the players. Something, he said, is tough to do in practice.

鈥淩eturners is a position you really have to get into the game to really get the evaluation,鈥� Kilam said. 鈥淯ntil that point, we鈥檙e learning the rules, fielding the football, understanding where to go, but it鈥檚 definitely a position, when the lights come on you see who鈥檚 got it and who doesn鈥檛.”

听

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 21, 2025.