By Jay Barlett, McMaster Sports
TORONTO, Ont. - McMaster Marauder Tommy Nield will get an opportunity to live out his childhood dream as the third-year receiver heard his name called by the Toronto Argonauts in the fourth round of Tuesday's 2021 CFL Draft.
Nield was the Marauders' leading pass-catcher during the 2019 Yates Cup championship season pulling in 48 receptions for 688 yards and four touchdowns, and was named a second-team OUA All-Star for his efforts. The Guelph, Ont. native becomes the fourth McMaster receiver drafted in the past five years and the 18th in program history.
When he first stepped foot on campus, Tommy knew that pro football could be in his future, if he was willing to work for it.
"It's always been something I've wanted to do since I was young," said an excited Nield less than 24 hours after the draft.
Standing 6'3 with a 215 lb frame, Nield impressed at this year's virtual CFL National Combine, having tested highest among invited receivers in nearly every category. Despite parting ways with their top three receivers from 2019, the Argonauts have reloaded at the position and Nield will have his work cut out for him to earn meaningful reps - something Marauder head coach Stef Ptaszek thinks is a real possibility.
"If you see him on a practice field… he floats," says Ptaszek. "You can tell that his core athleticism and the way that he moves is unique, but with how hard he works and how committed he is to his craft, he's a perfect fit for that team and such a strong candidate to compete for a CFL spot."
Although he wasn't the coach that recruited Nield, the storied Marauder play caller says he recognizes a work ethic in Tommy that makes him stand out.
"He works hard, and he's made such a commitment to his strength & conditioning" notes Ptaszek. "He's closing in on 215 pounds, but he moves like he's a 180-lb sprinter. Just watching him get physically stronger and still be able to do all the things like blocking and grinding on special teams, all the things the CFL is going to want him to do, has been a testament to his work ethic."
Nield attributes a lot of his success on the field to his training off it, and credits his trainer Steve Bodanis, as well as McMaster Performance Strength & Conditioning Coach
Jon Brown, for enabling him to put in the hard work to prepare for the combine.
"He dug in, got some access to equipment at home so he could train, cables, racks, weights - he scraped together to make his own gym so he could get ready for the draft. He knew what he had to do, and we were just there to support in whatever way we could" says Brown.
Like most high school athletes, Brown says that Nield came in "pretty lean" to training camp as a freshman, and from there, it was a matter of putting in the work. Whether in the weight room, during conditioning sessions, or training remotely as has become so routine in a pandemic reality, Brown has seen Tommy find that extra motivation to take his performance to the next level.
"He's dedicated and works his butt off. He wasn't overly strong, but there was some potential there. Over the last three years, from a strength & conditioning perspective, Tommy consistently asked 'what can I do to get better', and goes above and beyond to get it done."
"Tommy is in that upper 1% of athletes who make it easy for us strength coaches to work with" adds Brown.
With the addition of Nield, the Argonauts will have at least five former Marauders on their roster, and that's a connection he's looking forward to.
"I haven't had a chance to speak to those guys just yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to meeting them and learning from them on a daily basis."
Although put on pause due to the pandemic, Nield's career at McMaster still stacks up as one of the best in recent history. Over three seasons in maroon he has recorded 1,684 yards on 107 catches and found the end zone 10 times. Nield burst onto the Canadian football scene as a freshman earning OUA All-Rookie team honours.
But developing as a football player isn't something that happens overnight.
"There's a ton of people that have helped me get to this point in terms of supporting, starting with my parents, and family and friends," added Nield, "but in terms of helping me develop my skills as a football player I have to thank Coach [Corey] Grant and Coach P, all of my offensive coaches, our receivers, quarterbacks - all of them have helped me a great amount to get my game to where it is now."
In 2018, Nield had one of the best receiving games in OUA history when he put up 233 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the University of Toronto in front of a packed homecoming crowd. He followed that up with a 151-yard effort in the 2019 Mitchell Bowl in what may turn out to be his last game as a Marauder.
Nield will be looking to earn a roster spot with the Argonauts when training camp opens later this summer, but doesn't rule out the possibility of returning to Ron Joyce Stadium with the Marauders for a chance at defending their Yates Cup title, as he has two years of U SPORTS eligibility remaining.
"Obviously the main goal of mine is to try to make the active roster for the Argos. I'm not sure what the future holds, but I do know I'm excited for what's ahead" says Nield.
"I think all the hard work is going to set him up to be a big-play receiver, but also to grind and do what it takes to succeed in the league" added Ptaszek.
Whether he plays this coming season in blue or maroon remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure - Tommy Nield is going to give it everything he's got.
