Eric Staczala se sent à l’aise entre les vétérans de la ligne offensive de rouge et noir

Eric Starczala wasn’t viewed as the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ top option at centre before the season, nor has he ever been looked at that way in his CFL career, but that’s exactly where he finds himself late in the 2024 season.

Thrust into the heat of battle ahead of Ottawa’s Week 11 meeting with the Calgary Stampeders, Starczala has held a white-knuckled grip on the starter spot, hoping to hold it down, and help the REDBLACKS achieve their Grey Cup goals.

Drafted in the seventh round of the 2019 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts, Starczala returned to the Guelph Gryphons for another season, pushing his pro debut back a considerable amount of time, as COVID-19 wiped out an entire season in 2020.

In 2021, the Argos released him before the start of the season, and it wasn’t until 2022 that he got another opportunity, inking a deal with the REDBLACKS. He had spot duties from time to time, but never saw the field too often. That continued into 2024, when Starczala spent game nights following Offensive Line Coach Pat Perles around the sideline, learning as much as possible in preparation for an opportunity, if one ever came.

Now that he has that opportunity, it’s like a dream come true every day he shows up to the facility.

“I felt like I got an opportunity when I got picked, I just knew I was gonna have to work for it,” Starczala said. “Work and work and work. It’s all I’ve done.”

“It feels great. There are always things I’ve got to clean up. That’s something I gotta work on, but it feels good [to be playing football].”

The 28-year-old has plenty of experience on either side of him. Off to his right shoulder stands Dariusz Bladek, and on his left, the two-time Grey Cup champion Drew Desjarlais.

“It makes a world of difference,” Starczala said. “They talk a lot to me, and make sure we’re all talking, especially in the huddle. When we see the front, we talk and communicate how we’re gonna work it out. They help me out a lot.”

Much like Starczala’s journey thus far hasn’t been without roadblocks, the REDBLACKS’ hoggies hit one together two weeks ago in Hamilton. They allowed only one sack, but the pressure was on both Dru Brown and Jeremiah Masoli too often that afternoon, which the Cambridge, Ontario native is taking the heat for.

“Communication [needs to be better],” Starczala assessed. “That’s more on me than anyone else. I gotta be better with our calls, and make sure everyone is on the same page.”

“I definitely take it as a learning experience. I have to be better and more clear with the calls.”

Another area Starczala has noted for improvement is the REDBLACKS’ short-yardage situations. More often than not, quarterback Dustin Crum finds the hole and picks up a first down, but in recent weeks, it hasn’t been such a sure thing.

“Really, we have to beat them off the ball,” Starczala said. “We want to make sure we make first contact and keep our feet going to push. Stay low, and keep our feet moving forward.”

The remedy for anything plaguing the offensive line, however, is black and white. It’s not the scheme, and it’s not the personnel:

“We’ve got to play hard,” Starczala said. “We’ve just got to play hard, play physical and play confident.”

The REDBLACKS have seen plenty of change on the offensive line in the past handful of weeks, losing Zack Pelehos and Dino Boyd to injury, and last week, Drake Centers went down with an ailment of his own. It’s yet to be seen what things will look like in Saskatchewan this weekend, but it could be yet another combination for Pat Perles’ crew.

No confidence is shaken for the unit with the swaps, nor is Starczala fearful of communicating with different starters this week.

“Drake has been here for a couple of years, and he knows what he’s doing,” Starczala said. “With Ruby at right tackle, he’s been in the league for a long time, he’s a very good veteran and a very, very good player.

Once again this week, the REDBLACKS have the chance to clinch a playoff spot with a victory.

“You know, we don’t really like to focus too much on that,” Starczala said. “We look at it one game at it one game at a time. Just win the next game, win the next play.”