By Joel Gasson

Tiger-Cats quarterback ready for Grey Cup test

Nov 27, 2014 | 3:15 PM

This year’s Grey Cup is a pretty good snapshot of where the CFL is currently at when it comes to its most important position.

From coast-to-coast the league is currently littered with young and upcoming quarterbacks, including pivots for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Calgary Stampeders who will meet in Sunday’s championship game.

The man in Steeltown is, of course, Zach Collaros.

“I’ve played some big games in my life. I’ve always tried to make it not as big as what it is,” said Collaros when asked at the team’s media breakfast on Thursday if he was ready for what this weekend would bring.

Since coming to the CFL in 2012 as a Toronto Argonaut, but really getting his chance in 2013 when Ricky Ray was out of the line-up for several weeks, Collaros has risen to the occasion just about every time. Which is why it should come as no surprise that he’s found himself in one of the biggest games of his life in such short order.

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Collaros being a Grey Cup starting quarterback already certainly isn’t a surprise to his head coach.

“The game’s not too big for Zach either. Zach’s played in a lot of big games. He’s a proven winner at every level,” said Kent Austin.

“He got put on the road the year before in Toronto and won some tough games on the road. I know because were trying to catch Toronto in the standings and we couldn’t. He clipped off five wins.”

One thing that Austin noted right away about Collaros when he signed with the Ti-Cats in the off season was his competitiveness. Austin knows that Collaros wants to be great but at the same time feels he’s very unselfish and great with his teammates.

Collaros didn’t become competitive overnight. This has been a life-long progression for Ohio native.

“It was always bad at like family reunions we go to St. Louis for my mom’s side of the family and we would be playing like softball game. I’d be like seven years old and treating it like it’s the World Series.” he said.

“We got 80-year-old grandmothers out there playing and everybody hated me for it. But it’s got me to where I am so far, so it’s been good for me.”

The move from Toronto to Hamilton hasn’t been the smoothest of moves for Collaros. The first game of the season in Saskatchewan was a struggle, then he suffered a concussion the following week in Edmonton, an injury that kept him out of the line-up for several weeks.

The whole time, Collaros was told by Austin not to rush back. Austin wanted his quarterback to return but only when he was 100 per cent healthy.

“He was very patient with the whole thing and very supportive. I appreciate that, and he knows I appreciate that,” said Collaros.

When Collaros did return for the Ti-Cats Labour Day match-up with the Argos, he looked like a different quarterback than he did those first two weeks.

Collaros wouldn’t admit to feeling any pressure early in the year to perform for his new team but he did admit that the time on the injured list did allow him to learn even more about his new offence.

“Being in those meetings for seven (or) eight weeks (and) seeing us have some success and not have some success on some plays and seeing why,” he said.

Sunday will mark the first time Collaros will play in a championship game. If his quick rise to the top is any indication, then he’ll probably handle big stage just fine.

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On Twitter: @princealbertnow