A lot has changed for quarterback Travis Lulay in the three years since he last started a football game.
Lulay will be in a new league, on a different continent, when he leads the B.C. Lions against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night (TSN, 7:30 p.m. ET). A knee injury to Casey Printers means the second-year player from Salem, Ore., will get his first CFL start.
"It's exciting," Lulay said after the Lions practised Wednesday before flying to Toronto. "You prepare to play and be the guy.
"It's unfortunate for Casey that he is dinged up. That's the nature of the business sometimes. I have been preparing myself mentally to be ready when ever I got the call. It's this week and it's time to go."
Printers watched practice from the sidelines wearing a brace on his sore right knee. He rode a stationary bicycle but did not participate in any drills.
He injured the knee in the third quarter of Friday's 16-12 loss to the Montreal Alouettes. An MRI was done Tuesday morning and the decision was made later in the day to rest him this week.
"It's a lot of swelling that is going on now," Printers said. "The best thing is to sit down and let everything heal. I will see where it goes from there.
"It is what it is. I would love to be out there with the team. There are certain things out there that won't let you do that. It's part of the process. It's frustrating but it's part of it."
The former league MVP will travel with the Lions (1-2) and dress as the No. 3 quarterback. Veteran Jarious Jackson, who underwent shoulder surgery in January, will be Lulay's backup.
Lulay's last start was June 3, 2007, when he played for the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe. The Thunder lost and Lulay was injured during the game and didn't play for the rest of the season.
The six-foot-two, 216-pound Montana State graduate signed with the Lions as a free agent in 2009 after stints in the NFL and NFL Europe. He appeared in 16 games last year with B.C., mostly in relief, and completed 22 of 36 passes for 324 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Lulay was pressed into service this year when Printers missed the second half of B.C.'s 37-18 loss to Saskatchewan two weeks ago with a strained left quadricep. He completed nine of 15 passes for 197 yards and a touchdown.
The game against the 2-1 Argonauts has been dubbed the Braley Bowl. Both teams are owned by David Braley, the millionaire Hamilton businessman and senator who has a passion for CFL football.
Having one man own two clubs in an eight-team league might raise eyebrows in other sports but hasn't been a major topic in Vancouver during the buildup to the match.
Printers' status for this week and the NHL rejecting the New Jersey Devils' contract with Ilya Kovalchuk dominated the local newspapers and radio sports programs Wednesday.
One of Vancouver's two daily newspapers wrote a story with Braley talking about his teams. Most of the Lions players shrugged when asked about the situation.
"That's not for me to answer," said slotback Geroy Simon. "You have to talk to the people in control. That's not my expertise."
A change in quarterback might breathe some new life into a Lions offence that has been gasping for air so far this year.
The Lions are second-last in the league with just 55 points scored, just two more than the 0-3 Edmonton Eskimos.
Overall, the B.C. offence ranks last, or second-last, in 14 offensive categories.
Lulay, 26, said B.C. doesn't need miracles. The team just needs to execute better.
"I don't think its anything magical or anything crazy," he said. "I just need to be disciplined in what I do and just continue to build on what I've done and my knowledge of the offence.
"It's really just a matter of being disciplined and making the easy plays. Not over complicating things and not over thinking. Just doing what I know I can do."
Wally Buono, the Lions coach and general manager, said Lulay is well prepared for the start.
"He had a tremendous training camp," said Buono. "His worth ethic is comparable to nobody.
"He spends countless hours after practice, before practice in the weight room, in the film room. From that point of view it's not like he's going to have to catch up or cram. He's aware of the opportunity. I think he's aware of the importance of the game for all of us."
Veteran centre Angus Reid said having Lulay at quarterback won't change the Lions' game plan.
"We just go out and execute our plays and we will be fine," said Reid. "Casey was our starter, Travis comes in. Theoretically, nothing should change.
"Our playbook is the same, the rest of our players are the same."
Printers has played well at times this year, but also has looked very average at others.
He has completed 50-of-88 passes for 591 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, numbers that leave him below the other established quarterbacks in the league.
His 56.8 passing percentage is second-worst in the CFL.
Printers said he could play this week in an emergency. He also doesn't know how long the knee will hobble him.
"Great question," he shrugged. "Once everything settles down and it starts to heal up, then you will see me back out."
