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Canwest News Service
MONTREAL – For a brief moment Sunday, Ryan Grice-Mullen became the player Wally Buono has always envisioned.
In his mind's eye, the B.C. Lions head coach and general manager pictured Grice-Mullen slicing through wedges, spinning away from defenders, whipping upfield as if controlled by the coach's joystick. It has been weeks and months in the waiting, and Grice-Mullen finally came through with an end-to-end, 106- yard punt return for a touchdown in Sunday's East Division final against the Montreal Alouettes.
Grice-Mullen's sortie bettered by three yards the previous CFL record playoff held by Edmonton's Henry (Gizmo) Williams, who did it in a 1992 playoff game against Saskatchewan.
Grice-Mullen's scintillating sprint, in the third quarter, cut the Alouettes' lead to 31-18 and briefly gave the Lions life. Montreal quarterback Anthony Calvillo quickly extinguished the spark, however, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brian Bratton on the home team's next offensive series. The Als went on to crush the Lions, 56-18.
"I've been close to breaking one for some time," Grice-Mullen said. "I probably should have had six already. I was always one move, some little something away. It was good to get that at the time because it really sparked us. It got us within two scores. It was a real big boost."
Grice-Mullen, much like his team, has been in and out this season. As both a returner and wide receiver, he experienced handling problems early on and was parked for two games so that his confidence wouldn't be totally shattered. He isn't completely there yet. Although he caught three passes for 45 passes against the Alouettes, he dropped another.
Still, his place in the Lions universe looks to be assured as a returner. In the Lions' final two games of the regular season, Grice-Mullen had back-to-back 73-yard kickoff returns.
"It's all about having confidence and feeling comfortable," said fellow returner Ian Smart. "As the year went on, Ryan got more and more comfortable back there."
Unlike the 23-year-old Grice-Mullen, a number of veteran Lions can't be feeling too comfortable about their futures in B.C. Smart, cornerback LaVar Glover, safety Barron Miles and quarterbacks Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson perhaps are wondering if they've played their final games as Lions.
"I don't know, can't tell you that," Smart said. "A lot of us don't know what's going to happen. You just go home and pray to God."
Vancouver Sun
mbeamish@vancouversun.com
