Edmonton Elks' Leake relishing his return to running back position

Edmonton Elks quarterback Tre Ford (2) hands off to running back Javon Leake (22) during the first half of CFL football action against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina, on Saturday, August 3, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu)

Javon Leake is back in his happy place.

After spending much of his first two CFL seasons primarily as a kick returner, Leake is back taking handoffs. In the Edmonton Elks' last two games — both wins — Leake has rushed for 266 yards and four TDs on 33 carries (8.1-yard average).

Edmonton (2-7) visits the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2-7) on Saturday night.

"I've been waiting to play running back for a long time," Leake said. "It definitely feels good taking a lot of reps and getting the ball a lot.

"I'm back getting comfortable at my original position."

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Leake was both a running back and returner at Maryland (2017-19), rushing for 1,144 yards and 17 TDs on 145 carries (7.9-yard average). In '19, he ran for 736 yards and eight touchdowns on 102 carries (7.2-yard average) while also leading the Big Ten (third in NCAA) in kickoff returns (30, 804 yards, two TDs).

Leake was a conference all-star as a returner and earned the Rogers-Dwight specialist of the year award.

But before this season, the six-foot, 206-pound Leake had just 15 carries for 52 yards since turning pro in 2020. They all came after Leake joined the Toronto Argonauts in 2022 following NFL stops with the New York Giants, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders.

Leake still made his mark as a returner. He was the CFL's top special-teams player last season after leading it in punt returns (81, 1,216 yards. 15.0-yard average) with a club-record four TDs, one short of the league mark.

Leake also figured prominently in Toronto's 24-23 win over Winnipeg in the '22 Grey Cup. His 44-yard punt return put the Argos at the Bombers' 31-yard line with 6:07 remaining and set up A.J. Ouellette's game-winning five-yard TD run.

Leake signed with Edmonton in February but began the season behind Kevin Brown, who rushed for 1,141 yards in 2023. Leake became the starter Aug. 3 versus Saskatchewan after Brown (shoulder) went to the injured list.

Leake responded with 169 yards rushing and three TDs on 12 carries in a 42-31 win, Edmonton's first this year. On a 51-yard touchdown run, Leake reached a top speed of 35.8 kilometres an hour (22.25 miles an hour), which no ball carrier in pro football has topped in the last year.

Leake ran for 97 yards and a TD on 21 carries in last week's 33-16 home victory over B.C.

"This season, Javon is proving again he's one of the CFL's premier offensive weapons," said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Leake's Florida-based agent. "He's not only the fastest player in pro football but week in and week out he's one of this league's most dynamic playmakers.

"But Javon's also a humble, hard-working guy who's a pleasure to work with."

Leake will make a third straight start Saturday but admits transitioning to life in the backfield wasn't seamless.

“You know the basic stuff like taking the handoff and running," Leake said. "But it’s the actual details of the position like understanding the run scheme, being patient.

“I definitely had to get my feet wet … early in the season I fumbled twice, I was over-running some of my blocks. It was little stuff like to where the more reps I got, the more comfortable I got.”

Leake has also seen action on special teams. He has 22 punt returns for 214 yards and 24 kickoff returns for 520 yards, including two of 40-plus yards.

Leake’s rushing stats coincide with the return of Canadian quarterback Tre Ford to Edmonton’s offence. Ford threw for 252 yards and two TDs against Saskatchewan while rushing for 46 yards on five carries and completed his first six passes for 96 yards against B.C. before suffering a rib/chest injury.

Ford will miss Saturday's contest as veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson gets the start.

• Bethel-Thompson to start for Elks in place of injured Ford against Tiger-Cats in Hamilton

Edmonton is chasing its first three-game win streak since '18 and has won its last two contests at Tim Hortons Field. The Elks didn't break 100 yards rushing in their first seven games but have recorded 200 or more in each of their last two.

Leake has run for 386 yards on 55 carries this season (league-high 7.0-yard average) with 13 rushes of 10-or-more yards.

Hamilton has dropped two straight as sophomore Taylor Powell will make his first start of the season. He replaced veteran Bo Levi Mitchell in last week’s 33-23 loss to Montreal and finished with 319 yards passing and two TDs.

Powell made nine starts last season as a rookie (4-5) and is 0-1 versus Edmonton. Canadian safety Stavros Katsantonis and American cornerback Jamal Peters both return but running back James Butler is out.

“The reps (Powell) got last year were invaluable,” said Hamilton head coach Scott Milanovich. “And then this year we got to put in an offence I’m familiar with and hit it from the start through a training camp.

“He’s just that much quicker getting on to the next progression. That’s where the experience starting to show.”

Leake said the Elks know all about the struggles Hamilton is dealing with.

“We were kind of in the same situation,” Leake said. “They're a dangerous team and we have to be prepared for that.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 16, 2024.