Consistency, hard work the key for B.C. Lions receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — During a reflective moment before last season, Emmanuel Arceneaux looked inwards and made a decision.

It was one that wound up benefiting both the veteran receiver and the B.C. Lions.

“The biggest thing was it ain’t about me — that’s something I realized,” said Arceneaux. “If I bring my work ethic, everything will take care of itself.”

Arceneaux had put up consistent numbers during his five previous CFL campaigns, but his new outlook helped get the player and his team to the next level.

He finished 2016 with 1,566 receiving yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns as the Lions bounced back from a couple of down years to compile a 12-6 record while becoming one of the most exciting offensive teams in the country.

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But perhaps Arceneaux’s most memorable moment came following B.C.’s wild 32-31 playoff victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, a game that saw him knocked out after a vicious hit.

He stood up in the locker-room to deliver an impassioned and emotional speech — one befitting a true leader, not the carefree and sometimes-goofy persona of “The Manny Show” that he played up in public for entertainment purposes earlier in his career.

“If you look around everybody will say, ‘Manny’s the big-play receiver or this or that.’ But I’m really just a guy that shows up everyday,” said Arceneaux, who finished last year with a career-high 105 catches. “I just make the most of my opportunities that I get and let the game come to me.

“I believe how you practice is exactly how you play. That’s one thing I stick to.”

That attitude has pushed the six-foot-two, 210-pound Arceneaux up the CFL receiving ranks since returning to the Lions in 2013 after a two-season NFL stint, climbing from 14th in yards all the way to third last season.

An all-star in both 2015 and 2016, Arceneaux was usually first in line for every drill at training camp in Kamloops, making sure younger teammates knew their responsibilities and offering tips on route running.

“Manny’s work ethic is second to none,” said B.C. receiver Nick Moore. “He shows it every day — day in, day out. He’s the guy that’s first in the locker-room and last leaving.”

Not one to rest on his laurels, Arceneaux spent some of the off-season in Dallas working with receiver specialist David Robinson, who has trained elite NFL pass catchers like Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders.

“I wasn’t always the biggest, the fastest, the strongest,” said the 29-year-old from Alexandria, La. “Nothing was handed to me, so I had to work for what it is that I wanted.

“You’re a product of the work you put in. That’s one thing that got me where I’m at.”

Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono brought Arceneaux to the CFL ahead of the 2009 season, and said the most impressive aspect of the Alcorn State product’s career to this point is his fire.

“What’s made him what he is has been his drive to get better, his work ethic to get better,” said Buono, whose team wraps up the CFL’s exhibition schedule at home against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday. “He doesn’t take it for granted. He comes out every day, he practises hard every day, he plays hard every game.

“He’s become an elite player.”

The Lions’ offence seems primed to be even more explosive than last season as the club looks to unseat the Calgary Stampeders atop the West Division standings, beginning with their opener against the Edmonton Eskimos on June 24.

Arceneaux leads a dynamic receiving corps at the disposal of quarterback Jonathon Jennings that includes Bryan Burnham (fourth in CFL receiving yards in 2016), Chris Williams (sixth in 2016) and Moore.

“It looks good on paper,” said Arceneaux. “I’m just waiting to see what takes place on the field.”

He jokes about getting 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2017, but his jubilant demeanour turns serious when talking about the consistency that has helped him carve out a career.

“When you’re a successful guy there’s always people putting you under that microscope,” he said. “Waiting on you to mess up, waiting on you to slip up, waiting on you to get comfortable. 

“You can’t take the game for granted because you’re one play away from having a career … and one play away from ending your career.”

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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press