Drew Tate's athleticism and ability to extend plays under pressure were factors in John Hufnagel's decision to name him Calgary's starting quarterback for the CFL's West Division semifinal.
Tate, who was sidelined for 14 games this season with a dislocated shoulder and subsequent surgery, will get the ball Sunday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The winner advances to the West final Nov. 18 against the B.C. Lions.
"It means a lot," Tate said Tuesday at McMahon Stadium. "For him to pretty much put the rest of the season into my hands and I haven't been on the field as much, it does mean a lot to me, honestly. With that, it's a lot of responsibility and it's a challenge.
"I'm accepting it and I'm going doing the best I possibly can for this team."
Hufnagel, Calgary's coach and general manager, ended speculation whether it would be Tate or Kevin Glenn taking first snaps Sunday with his announcement.
Glenn was the starting quarterback in nine Calgary wins during Tate's absence. The Stampeders finished second in the division and the league with a 12-6 record.
"It's not that Kevin isn't athletic. It's just Drew is a little bit more," Hufnagel told a throng of reporters.
"He has the ability to extend plays. He's done that in the game he has played.
He showed that up in Edmonton. That's one of the things that he brings to the table."
Tate returned earlier than expected from his injury to play parts of the final two games of the regular season. Both were wins for Calgary.
The 28-year-old from Baytown, Texas, scrambled out of trouble to make a play more than once in the first half of Friday's finale against the Edmonton Eskimos.
Tate came out with Calgary up 20-17 at halftime.
Glenn played the second half of the game, which the Stampeders won 30-27. Tate and Glenn rotated series in Tate's first game back Oct. 26, which was a 41-21 win over B.C.
"Drew came out of those two games showing that his shoulder is completely healthy, he is throwing the ball accurately, he is seeing the field well," Hufnagel explained. "With his athletic ability to be able to extend some plays and he has a pretty good winning percentage, you take all those things into account and I decided gut feeling to go with Drew."
