A late edition to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats roster, running back Marcus Thigpen had only three practices with the team before making his CFL debut. And what a debut it was, opening up the season with a kick return for a touchdown.
''Obviously he exceeded expectations,'' head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said. ''I knew from practice and from what we saw on tapes that he had ability and speed, so we were interested how it would play out in a game and if it would carry over. And it did. He didn't have a perfect game, but he was electrifying and put points on the board for us.
''We were looking for someone. We felt like we brought some guys into training camp and no one was going to be that difference maker, and we were really looking for a difference maker. When [Thigpen] became available, we thought he might be that person,'' added Bellefeuille.
Signed largely for his potential special teams, Thigpen's CFL debut against Winnipeg included not only a 93 yard kickoff return, but also a touchdown when he ran back a missed field-goal attempt 119 yards early in the fourth quarter. In doing so, he became the first CFL player since Keith Stokes in 2002 to return two touchdowns in the same game, and the first Tiger-Cat to return a kick off for a touchdown since 1993.
''You'd have to go back to 1991 and Raghib "Rocket" Ismail,'' Bellefeuille said of Thigpen's performance. ''I haven't seen that kind of speed since him.''
Thigpen took the performance in stride, saying he exceeded his expectations in his debut.
''I definitely didn't expect to get two [touchdowns],'' said Thigpen. ''I was planning on getting one, that was my goal, but it's something I've been doing my whole life so it just comes naturally.''
A late cut by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, it didn't take long for Thigpen to catch on with the Tiger-Cats. But still for those few days, Thigpen wasn't sure what his football future would hold.
''I was basically just thinking; what's my next move?'' said Thigpen. ''I didn't expect a call from anyone at the time, but I talked to my agent and he was keeping me positive all the time. I was excited to get back out here.''
As he becomes more comfortable with the playbook, quarterback Kevin Glenn says he definitely sees a spot with Thigpen in this offence. Glenn describes Thigpen as more of a scat back, unlike their primary back DeAndra Cobb, who he says is more of the prototypical running back.
''I think the coaches recognize that, and I think the team recognizes that too; especially after what [Thigpen] did in the special team's game against Winnipeg,'' said Glenn. ''When you see that kind of stuff, you can take it and implement into any offense in this league.''
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