'Almost Feels Like I'm Already Out There': Late Bloomer Chase Artopoeus Makes His Mark as Blue Bombers QB
Chase Artopoeus had his mind fully engaged in the game well before he physically stepped into it.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers deployed their inexperienced quarterback for Saturday’s game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders towards the end of the final quarter.
“I almost feel like I am out there because you want to make sure that if you do go out there, you are not going to lay an egg,” Artopoeus told The Winnipeg Sun on Monday. “You want to go out there with a plan and play fast.”
Artopoeus was aware that he ranked fourth on the depth chart following Zach Collaros, Chris Streveler, and Terry Wilson, yet he remained uncertain about whether or when he might see playing time.
Even though he was in a wait-and-see situation, the player from California started preparing for the game well ahead of time. He didn’t step onto the field until there were only 3 minutes and 10 seconds left in the final quarter, at which point his team was holding a narrow lead of 12-9 against their opponents.
“Like any backup quarterback you are looking at the play calls and trying to understand what we are doing, why we are doing this, what is the context of the play and what is the down and what is the distance,” he said. “And then you are looking at the defence and what defence they are they in and looking to see how they are rotating and adjusting to motion, all that kind of different stuff.”
The 24-year-old quarterback spearheaded an impressive 2:44 drive, culminating in a Sergio Castillo field goal as the game clock showed only 30 seconds left. Arturopphus connected on five out of six pass attempts for 43 yards and added one rushing attempt for 10 more yards. His overall performance earned him an efficiency rating of 101.4. The Bombers secured their victory with a score of 15-9 against the Green Riders.
Similar to many NCAA Division I football players, Artopoeus was a starter during his time in high school. Upon joining UCLA in 2019, he found himself as a relatively minor figure among significant competition, significantly trailing behind the starting quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson on the team’s depth chart.
During the UCLA 2022 season, Artopoeus suited up for two games but didn’t take any snaps at quarterback. Instead, he primarily participated in practices with the scout team and traveled with the traveling squad.
When you reach college and face someone in front of you, you must discover methods to improve since your practice opportunities are restricted, similar to my situation here with the Bombers," Artopoulos stated. "You attempt to perform mental repetitions, and acquiring this skill at UCLA taught me how to comprehend what I see from the sideline and use that knowledge to assist teammates during games; I believe mastering this ability has been vital.
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