A Strong Start: Kevin Elliott Settling Into Ticats Lineup

Kevin Elliott’s 102 receiving yards in his Hamilton Tiger-Cats debut last week helped his new team clinch a playoff spot while also officially eliminating the Toronto Argonauts from playoff contention; the very team that released Elliott two weeks earlier.
Call it payback, coincidence, or irony, but Elliott simply calls it ‘doing his job.’
“I had a lot of fun out there,” said the sophomore receiver. “That’s the main thing. I just wanted to focus and have fun with my teammates and get the win. Thankfully, I was able to make some plays and help us get the win.”
Elliott’s inaugural game in the black and gold also marked his first 100-yard performance of his career. His signing with the Ticats and impressive display on Friday could not have been timelier.
Hamilton has had its fair share of injuries to the receiving corps during the 2016 campaign. Free agent signing Chad Owens is done for the year with a broken foot after starting the season strong, while Luke Tasker, who led the team in receiving yards and targets through the first half of the season, is currently on the 6 game injured list and is not expected to play ‘anytime soon,’ according to Ticats head coach Kent Austin.
Elliott’s proven track record of putting up points and making big plays is one of the reasons Hamilton brought the Fayetteville, NC native on board. He registered eight touchdowns last season with the Argos in his rookie year; only two behind the league lead.
“He’s a real game-time player,” said Austin. “We knew that about him. He loves the game. He loves playing football. He did a really great job coming in and learning the offence as quick as he did. We kept him focused on one position and didn’t move him around too much to accelerate that. We knew the guy could make plays and he’s fit in really well.”
His 6’3 frame also adds another big body target to the Ticats receiving arsenal alongside Andy Fantuz and Terrence Toliver (6’4 and 6’5 respectively).
Elliott’s strong start did not go unnoticed by his teammates, who have commended him for stepping up in one of the biggest games of the season.
“I thought he played really well,” said Fantuz. “When he caught the ball he was hard to bring down. He brought some energy and toughness to our lineup. He just plays with a smile on his face and a lot of energy and it’s easy to feed off of that.
“I was happy to have him out there beside me and look forward to seeing him progress.”
Friday’s game will mark another Ticats’ first for Elliott; his first game alongside Zach Collaros. The Ticats starting pivot has been sidelined with a concussion the past two games but will make his return Friday against the Edmonton Eskimos at Tim Hortons Field.
The chemistry between Elliott and Jeremiah Masoli in Week 18 was evident, but Elliott has no doubts that he will be able to establish that same connection with Collaros.
“It’s not so much hard,” said Elliott. “It’s just putting in the same work Jeremiah and I put in that week leading up to the game. It’s just switching over to Zach. They like throwing different types of passes in certain situations. It’s just getting to feel Zach out…We’re pretty much on the same page, and we really just want to make plays.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of plays made Friday.”