Jason Maas
Encyclopedia
Jason Maas is a former Canadian football
quarterback
. He is best known for his career in the Canadian Football League
, which was largely spent with the Edmonton Eskimos
. He has also spent time with the Montreal Alouettes
and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
.
, Maas gained his first notice as a football player when the Phoenix Prep Sport magazine selected Maas as the most outstanding high-school quarterback in the state of Arizona as a senior.
Maas went to college at the University of Oregon
starting in 1994 but was buried deep on the depth chart for the first two years of his career. In his second year, Maas threw only eighteen passes in unimportant situations. However, in his third year, Maas was considered a solid bet to take Oregon's starting job, until the arrival of high-profile transfer Akili Smith
. Smith was drawing rave reviews from the football establishment as a better pure athlete, but Maas's numbers early in the year were comparable. Maas drew rave reviews by throwing for five touchdowns in a game against Stanford, but it was Smith who ended up taking the long-term starting job.
Maas spent the rest of his time at Oregon as a backup, finishing with career totals of 120 completions on 226 attempts, 1,763 yards, nineteen touchdown
s and eight interceptions. Both Maas and Smith left Oregon in 1999, and while Smith was drafted third overall by the Cincinnati Bengals
, Maas took a Bachelor of Science
in sociology
and, undrafted, tried to continue his professional career the hard way. The pattern of losing a starting job to a flashier new arrival despite his own strong play would repeat itself twice later in Maas's career.
's Baltimore Ravens
during preseason. He appeared in a single preseason game and did not impress the coaching staff enough to win a roster spot.
Maas signed with the Edmonton Eskimos, where the coaching staff intended to use him as a backup and (with Dan Crowley
) the holder on field goal and extra point attempts. The Eskimos were, at the time, one of the league's deepest teams at the quarterback position, with Maas, Crowley, and incumbent starter Nealon Greene
all eventually assuming starting jobs somewhere in the CFL during their careers. Maas dressed for all eighteen games but saw significant action in only one, going 16 of 25 for 165 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The Eskimos were eliminated in the Western finals by the B.C. Lions.
During the preseason of 2001
, Eskimos head coach Don Matthews
was fired in a famously messy separation, allegedly for health reasons, and was replaced by Tom Higgins. Higgins would later develop a reputation for changing quarterbacks frequently, and although the flashy Greene had been the starter in Edmonton for two years, his spotty arm was beginning to draw criticism from fans. The door was wide open for the two backups, Crowley and Maas, to show that they could take the reins from the faltering Greene. Crowley was strong and Greene fought valiantly to keep his job, but by Week 7 it was Maas who had taken the starting quarterback spot that he would keep to the end of the year.
Maas picked the league apart in his first year as a starter, and despite his late start was a West Division All-Star and the Edmonton nominee for CFL Outstanding Player. He threw 231 complete of 391 attempts for 3,646 yards, recording 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His performance in the 2001 Labour Day Classic
, when Maas was the offensive star and recorded a late 23-yard run to set up the winning field goal as time expired, made him an instant fan favourite. Maas led the Eskimos to first place in one of the weakest Western Divisions of all time, as the Esks won the division by winning only as many as they lost. The end of the year was sour as the Eskimos were blown out by the rival Calgary Stampeders
in the Western Finals, 34–18. Maas emerged with little credit in the defeat, and after two straight years of disappointment, the local media were beginning to speculate whether the Eskimos were ever going to get past the Western Final.
, Crowley to the newly minted Ottawa Renegades
in the expansion draft, where he would become their starting quarterback, and Greene to the Saskatchewan Roughriders
in a trade. The two backups were Bart Hendricks and an unknown named Ricky Ray
, neither of whom were expected to challenge Maas for the starting job. Maas was named Offensive Player of the Week in Week 2, and was on pace for another All-Star season.
However, in Week 4 against Nealon Greene
's Roughriders, Maas suffered a separated shoulder
in his non-throwing arm and the injury was serious enough to sideline Maas for several games. The nominal number two was Hendricks, but he was unavailable, and the third-stringer Ray temporarily took over the starting role for the Eskimos.
Ray seized his chance, and in his first CFL start threw for four touchdowns against the B.C. Lions. As fans watched with delight, Ray piled up remarkable numbers during Maas's recovery, leading to an inevitable showdown when the former starter returned. After missing three weeks, Maas returned against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
and was utterly forgettable. One mediocre game was all Higgins needed to see and Maas was immediately sent to the bench in favour of Ray, who started the next five games.
However, reminiscent of Maas's junior season in Oregon with Akili Smith, Higgins seemed unable to make up his mind. In a game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, Ray struggled and Maas came in, successfully engineering an Eskimos comeback. Ray started the next game but in the game after, the second-to-last game of the season, Maas again appeared in relief and was again solid. Finally, in the last game of the year, Maas got the start and played well.
In his first season, Ray had recorded almost 3,000 yards and a quarterback rating over 100, helping the Eskimos won the West Division for the third consecutive year with the third consecutive starting quarterback. Maas had played less often but still well, and had started to win back the confidence of the fans and of the team with a strong end to the season. But for the playoffs Higgins returned to Ray, who led the Eskimos to the 90th Grey Cup
, which they lost to the Montréal Alouettes
, coached by Maas's first CFL head coach, Don Matthews.
In 2003
, Maas was looking to regain his starting job from Ray, but suffered a back injury during the off-season. The condition was severe enough to require surgery and Ray became the starter out of training camp. Maas was the holder for kicker Sean Fleming as he healed, but by Week Eight he was completely healthy. However, Higgins had drawn criticism for his "quarterback by committee" in 2002 and had little desire to repeat the adventure. Maas was entrenched on the bench as Ray helped deliver the Eskimos the 91st Grey Cup
in a rematch with the Alouettes.
. The loss of the star quarterback dismayed Eskimos fans, but this was tempered with calm knowing that Maas was around to fill the void in 2004
.
The pressure on Maas was high, but his performance was up to it. Maas threw for an incredible 5,274 yards, well higher than Ray's 2003 total of 4,640. Maas threw for "only" 31 touchdowns, four fewer than Ray's 35 in 2003, but his 105.1 quarterback rating ranked among the great seasons ever. In an ironic scene for Maas, he lost out on the Most Outstanding Player award to Lions quarterback Casey Printers
who took over the starting role after an injury to incumbent superstar Dave Dickenson
, similar to Ray taking over for Maas.
Maas had a strong playoff performance in his single game, throwing for 369 yards in the West Semi-Final. But despite Maas' numbers the offense just was not there as the Eskimos lost a wet and miserable game to Henry Burris and the Saskatchewan Roughriders 14–6. Maas's career playoff record fell to 0–2, and head coach Higgins was fired as a result of the loss.
. Conjecture immediately ran high that Ray would be lured back to the Eskimos with a relative big-money deal, which soon followed. In addition, Maas faced additional competition from recently signed former Most Outstanding Player Khari Jones
.
Former offensive co-ordinator and new head coach Danny Maciocia
had led Maas's offense during his 2004 season, but he also knew that the starting quarterback had to be decisively selected and stuck to. After preseason, Maciocia chose and stuck to Ray, returning Maas to the bench for the 2005 CFL season
. Maas saw little game action in the regular season, appearing only in relief for the final game, a blowout loss to the Calgary Stampeders.
However, entering into the next week's Western Semi-final game against the Stampeders, Ricky Ray was being criticized for his recent play, and after a relatively poor first half, Maciocia put Maas in for Ray for the second half. Maas re-ignited the dormant Eskimos offense and led them to a comeback victory, resurrecting the old quarterback controversy that had plagued the Eskimos for years. Maas followed this up by again appearing in relief during the fourth quarter over Ray in the West Division final against the Lions, scoring the winning touchdown and leading the Eskimos to another victory. Once again, perhaps because of rumours Maas had already been traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for veteran quarterback Danny McManus
and lineman Tim Bakker
, Maciocia opted to start Ray in the 93rd Grey Cup
. Ray played the whole game and won it, being named MVP in the process. After the game, confirming what TSN
called "the CFL's worst-kept secret", Maas was traded to the Tiger-Cats.
from the defunct Ottawa Renegades
, running back/return man and reigning Most Outstanding Special Teams Player Corey Holmes
from the Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for the firstoverall pick in Ottawa's dispersal draft
(Saskatchewan selected quarterback Kerry Joseph
). Significantly for Maas, the team also added his former favourite target in Edmonton, receiver Terry Vaughn
, from Montreal as a free agent.
In spite of the big names added to the offense, the Tiger-Cats struggled immediately and badly. On July 10, 2006, the Tiger-Cats relieved head coach Greg Marshall of his duties after an 0–4 start, appointing 67-year old veteran head coach Ron Lancaster
as his replacement. The team also fired offensive co-ordinator Joe Paopao
, offensive line coach Kani Kauahi
, and replaced interim general manager since 2005 Rob Katz with former Montreal assistant GM Marcel Desjardins later in the season. Before the Tiger-Cats' Labour Day Classic
game against Toronto, Hamilton was in last place in the East Division. Maas was seventh in the league in passing yardage, tied for seventh in touchdown passes, and tied for second in interceptions. Two of the players ahead of Maas in yardage and touchdowns, Dave Dickenson and Kerry Joseph, had struggled with injuries during the season, and the player tied with Maas's seven touchdowns was British Columbia backup Buck Pierce
. The Tiger-Cats would fall to 2–10 after Labour Day, with Maas getting no credit in a 40–6 pummelling by the Argonauts.
For the 2007 CFL season
Maas began the year as the starter for the Tiger-Cats. They had another rough start to the season at 1–8, prompting the pick-up of NFL castoff, and 2004 CFL MOP, Casey Printers
.
, recently cut by the Kansas City Chiefs
, Hamilton traded Maas to the Montreal Alouettes
in exchange for Canadian fullback Jeff Piercy
. Maas initially refused to report to his new club, a move which momentarily held up formalization of the transaction. Maas served as the team's third string quarterback behind Marcus Brady
and Anthony Calvillo
. Mass saw limited time on the field with the Alouettes and was released on December 31, 2007.
with daughter Makaela and wife Marjean.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He is best known for his career in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, which was largely spent with the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
. He has also spent time with the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
.
Amateur career
During his high school career in Yuma, ArizonaYuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
, Maas gained his first notice as a football player when the Phoenix Prep Sport magazine selected Maas as the most outstanding high-school quarterback in the state of Arizona as a senior.
Maas went to college at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
starting in 1994 but was buried deep on the depth chart for the first two years of his career. In his second year, Maas threw only eighteen passes in unimportant situations. However, in his third year, Maas was considered a solid bet to take Oregon's starting job, until the arrival of high-profile transfer Akili Smith
Akili Smith
Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch , and Donovan McNabb...
. Smith was drawing rave reviews from the football establishment as a better pure athlete, but Maas's numbers early in the year were comparable. Maas drew rave reviews by throwing for five touchdowns in a game against Stanford, but it was Smith who ended up taking the long-term starting job.
Maas spent the rest of his time at Oregon as a backup, finishing with career totals of 120 completions on 226 attempts, 1,763 yards, nineteen touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and eight interceptions. Both Maas and Smith left Oregon in 1999, and while Smith was drafted third overall by the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, Maas took a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and, undrafted, tried to continue his professional career the hard way. The pattern of losing a starting job to a flashier new arrival despite his own strong play would repeat itself twice later in Maas's career.
Professional football
As a career backup in college, Maas drew little interest through the professional ranks. On April 23, 1999, Maas signed with the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
during preseason. He appeared in a single preseason game and did not impress the coaching staff enough to win a roster spot.
Joining the CFL
For the 2000 CFL season2000 CFL season
-2000 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Dave Dickenson , Calgary Stampeders*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Sean Millington , BC Lions*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Joe Montford , Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
Maas signed with the Edmonton Eskimos, where the coaching staff intended to use him as a backup and (with Dan Crowley
Dan Crowley
Dan Crowley is an Australian rugby union footballer who played for the Wallabies 38 times and earned over 100 caps for the Queensland Reds during his rugby career...
) the holder on field goal and extra point attempts. The Eskimos were, at the time, one of the league's deepest teams at the quarterback position, with Maas, Crowley, and incumbent starter Nealon Greene
Nealon Greene
Nealon Greene is an American-born Canadian football quarterback.After spending his collegiate career with Clemson, where he became the school's career leader in passing yardage, Greene came to the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts...
all eventually assuming starting jobs somewhere in the CFL during their careers. Maas dressed for all eighteen games but saw significant action in only one, going 16 of 25 for 165 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. The Eskimos were eliminated in the Western finals by the B.C. Lions.
During the preseason of 2001
2001 CFL season
The 2001 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 48th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 44th Canadian Football League season.-CFL news in 2001:...
, Eskimos head coach Don Matthews
Don Matthews
Don Matthews, a.k.a. "The Don", is a former head coach of several teams in the Canadian Football League and is the second winningest head coach in CFL history with 231 wins...
was fired in a famously messy separation, allegedly for health reasons, and was replaced by Tom Higgins. Higgins would later develop a reputation for changing quarterbacks frequently, and although the flashy Greene had been the starter in Edmonton for two years, his spotty arm was beginning to draw criticism from fans. The door was wide open for the two backups, Crowley and Maas, to show that they could take the reins from the faltering Greene. Crowley was strong and Greene fought valiantly to keep his job, but by Week 7 it was Maas who had taken the starting quarterback spot that he would keep to the end of the year.
Maas picked the league apart in his first year as a starter, and despite his late start was a West Division All-Star and the Edmonton nominee for CFL Outstanding Player. He threw 231 complete of 391 attempts for 3,646 yards, recording 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His performance in the 2001 Labour Day Classic
Labour Day Classic
The Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
, when Maas was the offensive star and recorded a late 23-yard run to set up the winning field goal as time expired, made him an instant fan favourite. Maas led the Eskimos to first place in one of the weakest Western Divisions of all time, as the Esks won the division by winning only as many as they lost. The end of the year was sour as the Eskimos were blown out by the rival Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
in the Western Finals, 34–18. Maas emerged with little credit in the defeat, and after two straight years of disappointment, the local media were beginning to speculate whether the Eskimos were ever going to get past the Western Final.
Professional setbacks
Maas emerged from the 2001 season secure as the incumbent starter. Potential rivals Crowley and Greene were gone for 20022002 CFL season
The 2002 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 49th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 45th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2002:...
, Crowley to the newly minted Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
in the expansion draft, where he would become their starting quarterback, and Greene to the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
in a trade. The two backups were Bart Hendricks and an unknown named Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray is a Canadian and American football quarterback who has played in the Canadian Football League and af2, as well as spending time on a roster in the National Football League...
, neither of whom were expected to challenge Maas for the starting job. Maas was named Offensive Player of the Week in Week 2, and was on pace for another All-Star season.
However, in Week 4 against Nealon Greene
Nealon Greene
Nealon Greene is an American-born Canadian football quarterback.After spending his collegiate career with Clemson, where he became the school's career leader in passing yardage, Greene came to the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts...
's Roughriders, Maas suffered a separated shoulder
Separated shoulder
A separated shoulder , is a common injury to the acromioclavicular joint. This is not the same as a shoulder dislocation as that involves a dislocation of the glenohumeral joint...
in his non-throwing arm and the injury was serious enough to sideline Maas for several games. The nominal number two was Hendricks, but he was unavailable, and the third-stringer Ray temporarily took over the starting role for the Eskimos.
Ray seized his chance, and in his first CFL start threw for four touchdowns against the B.C. Lions. As fans watched with delight, Ray piled up remarkable numbers during Maas's recovery, leading to an inevitable showdown when the former starter returned. After missing three weeks, Maas returned against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
and was utterly forgettable. One mediocre game was all Higgins needed to see and Maas was immediately sent to the bench in favour of Ray, who started the next five games.
However, reminiscent of Maas's junior season in Oregon with Akili Smith, Higgins seemed unable to make up his mind. In a game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, Ray struggled and Maas came in, successfully engineering an Eskimos comeback. Ray started the next game but in the game after, the second-to-last game of the season, Maas again appeared in relief and was again solid. Finally, in the last game of the year, Maas got the start and played well.
In his first season, Ray had recorded almost 3,000 yards and a quarterback rating over 100, helping the Eskimos won the West Division for the third consecutive year with the third consecutive starting quarterback. Maas had played less often but still well, and had started to win back the confidence of the fans and of the team with a strong end to the season. But for the playoffs Higgins returned to Ray, who led the Eskimos to the 90th Grey Cup
90th Grey Cup
The 90th Grey Cup was the 2002 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 24 at Commonwealth Stadium, in Edmonton, Alberta...
, which they lost to the Montréal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
, coached by Maas's first CFL head coach, Don Matthews.
In 2003
2003 CFL season
The 2003 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 50th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 46th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2003:...
, Maas was looking to regain his starting job from Ray, but suffered a back injury during the off-season. The condition was severe enough to require surgery and Ray became the starter out of training camp. Maas was the holder for kicker Sean Fleming as he healed, but by Week Eight he was completely healthy. However, Higgins had drawn criticism for his "quarterback by committee" in 2002 and had little desire to repeat the adventure. Maas was entrenched on the bench as Ray helped deliver the Eskimos the 91st Grey Cup
91st Grey Cup
The 91st Grey Cup was the 2003 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes on November 16 at Taylor Field, in Regina, Saskatchewan before 50,909 fans...
in a rematch with the Alouettes.
Opportunity knocks
After 2003, Ray was a hot commodity. NFL scouts were known to be looking at Ray, and during the off-season Ray was able to stick with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The loss of the star quarterback dismayed Eskimos fans, but this was tempered with calm knowing that Maas was around to fill the void in 2004
2004 CFL season
The 2004 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2004:...
.
The pressure on Maas was high, but his performance was up to it. Maas threw for an incredible 5,274 yards, well higher than Ray's 2003 total of 4,640. Maas threw for "only" 31 touchdowns, four fewer than Ray's 35 in 2003, but his 105.1 quarterback rating ranked among the great seasons ever. In an ironic scene for Maas, he lost out on the Most Outstanding Player award to Lions quarterback Casey Printers
Casey Printers
Casey J. Printers was a professional American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at Texas Christian University from 1999 to 2001, leading his team to three straight bowl games, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior year...
who took over the starting role after an injury to incumbent superstar Dave Dickenson
Dave Dickenson
David Dickenson is a former professional Canadian football player with the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions. Dickenson also played quarterback collegiately at the University of Montana, where he led the Montana Grizzlies to the 1995 NCAA I-AA college football championship.-High school...
, similar to Ray taking over for Maas.
Maas had a strong playoff performance in his single game, throwing for 369 yards in the West Semi-Final. But despite Maas' numbers the offense just was not there as the Eskimos lost a wet and miserable game to Henry Burris and the Saskatchewan Roughriders 14–6. Maas's career playoff record fell to 0–2, and head coach Higgins was fired as a result of the loss.
Return to the bench
Unfortunately for Maas's individual numbers, Ray struggled south of the border. He never threw a regular-season pass with the Jets, and after being released tried in vain to catch on with another NFL team in time for the 2005 NFL season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
. Conjecture immediately ran high that Ray would be lured back to the Eskimos with a relative big-money deal, which soon followed. In addition, Maas faced additional competition from recently signed former Most Outstanding Player Khari Jones
Khari Jones
Khari Okang Jones [ke-HAR-ee] is a retired professional Canadian football player and former television sports reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Jones played quarterback in the Canadian Football League, where he enjoyed his most success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers...
.
Former offensive co-ordinator and new head coach Danny Maciocia
Danny Maciocia
Danny Maciocia is the head coach of the Université de Montréal Carabins football team. He is also the former general manager & director of football operations of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and former offensive coordinator with the André-Grasset Phénix, a CEGEP team in...
had led Maas's offense during his 2004 season, but he also knew that the starting quarterback had to be decisively selected and stuck to. After preseason, Maciocia chose and stuck to Ray, returning Maas to the bench for the 2005 CFL season
2005 CFL season
The 2005 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2005:...
. Maas saw little game action in the regular season, appearing only in relief for the final game, a blowout loss to the Calgary Stampeders.
However, entering into the next week's Western Semi-final game against the Stampeders, Ricky Ray was being criticized for his recent play, and after a relatively poor first half, Maciocia put Maas in for Ray for the second half. Maas re-ignited the dormant Eskimos offense and led them to a comeback victory, resurrecting the old quarterback controversy that had plagued the Eskimos for years. Maas followed this up by again appearing in relief during the fourth quarter over Ray in the West Division final against the Lions, scoring the winning touchdown and leading the Eskimos to another victory. Once again, perhaps because of rumours Maas had already been traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for veteran quarterback Danny McManus
Danny McManus
Danny McManus , is a retired professional American football and Canadian football quarterback who passed for over 50,000 yards in seventeen seasons in the Canadian Football League...
and lineman Tim Bakker
Tim Bakker
Tim Bakker is an offensive lineman for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos. He is originally from Oakville, Ontario....
, Maciocia opted to start Ray in the 93rd Grey Cup
93rd Grey Cup
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes, to decide the winner of the 2005 season of the Canadian Football League. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime...
. Ray played the whole game and won it, being named MVP in the process. After the game, confirming what TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
called "the CFL's worst-kept secret", Maas was traded to the Tiger-Cats.
Starting in Steeltown
The Tiger-Cats had a busy off-season after the 2005 season. Along with Maas, the Tiger-Cats also acquired running back Josh RanekJosh Ranek
Josh Ranek was a Canadian football player.He was a running back in the Canadian Football League. He was a member of the Edmonton Eskimos and was cut on June 23, 2007. He previously played for the Ottawa Renegades between 2002 and 2005, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2006...
from the defunct Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
, running back/return man and reigning Most Outstanding Special Teams Player Corey Holmes
Corey Holmes
Corey Holmes is a former professional Canadian football running back and the current mayor of Metcalfe, Mississippi.- College career :...
from the Saskatchewan Roughriders in exchange for the firstoverall pick in Ottawa's dispersal draft
Dispersal draft
A dispersal draft is a process in professional sports for assigning players to a new team when their current team goes out of business, consolidates with another team, or for some other reason ceases to exist. Since most sports drafts are held in North America, this is where most dispersal drafts...
(Saskatchewan selected quarterback Kerry Joseph
Kerry Joseph
Kerry Tremaine Joseph is a quarterback who is currently playing for the Edmonton Eskimos. He was born in New Iberia, Louisiana....
). Significantly for Maas, the team also added his former favourite target in Edmonton, receiver Terry Vaughn
Terry Vaughn
Terry Vaughn is a former Canadian Football League receiver most recently with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On July 14, 2006 he became the all-time leader in receptions in the Canadian Football League, surpassing Darren Flutie's previous record of 973 receptions...
, from Montreal as a free agent.
In spite of the big names added to the offense, the Tiger-Cats struggled immediately and badly. On July 10, 2006, the Tiger-Cats relieved head coach Greg Marshall of his duties after an 0–4 start, appointing 67-year old veteran head coach Ron Lancaster
Ron Lancaster
Ronald "Ron" Lancaster was one of the pre-eminent quarterbacks of the Canadian Football League during his playing career; after his retirement as a player, he was also coach and general manager in the same league, and a sports announcer for CBC Television...
as his replacement. The team also fired offensive co-ordinator Joe Paopao
Joe Paopao
Joe Paopao is a long-time coach in the Canadian Football League, who last served as a head coach in the CFL for the Ottawa Renegades from 2001–2005....
, offensive line coach Kani Kauahi
Kani Kauahi
Daniel Kani Kauahi is the offensive line coach for the Arizona Rattlers in the Arena Football League . He joined the Rattlers in 2007 as the defensive line coach.-Playing career:...
, and replaced interim general manager since 2005 Rob Katz with former Montreal assistant GM Marcel Desjardins later in the season. Before the Tiger-Cats' Labour Day Classic
Labour Day Classic
The Labour Day Classic is a particular week of the Canadian Football League schedule that is played over the Labour Day weekend. This particular weekend, typically the tenth or eleventh week in the season, is known for its matchups that do not change from year to year, unlike other weeks of the...
game against Toronto, Hamilton was in last place in the East Division. Maas was seventh in the league in passing yardage, tied for seventh in touchdown passes, and tied for second in interceptions. Two of the players ahead of Maas in yardage and touchdowns, Dave Dickenson and Kerry Joseph, had struggled with injuries during the season, and the player tied with Maas's seven touchdowns was British Columbia backup Buck Pierce
Buck Pierce
Buck James Pierce is a professional Canadian football quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Pierce signed with the Blue Bombers for the 2010 CFL season after he was released by the BC Lions, the team he spent the first five years of his professional career with...
. The Tiger-Cats would fall to 2–10 after Labour Day, with Maas getting no credit in a 40–6 pummelling by the Argonauts.
For the 2007 CFL season
2007 CFL season
The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on...
Maas began the year as the starter for the Tiger-Cats. They had another rough start to the season at 1–8, prompting the pick-up of NFL castoff, and 2004 CFL MOP, Casey Printers
Casey Printers
Casey J. Printers was a professional American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at Texas Christian University from 1999 to 2001, leading his team to three straight bowl games, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior year...
.
Traded to Montreal
On Sept. 7, 2007, in the wake of Hamilton's signing of Casey PrintersCasey Printers
Casey J. Printers was a professional American football and Canadian football player. He played college football at Texas Christian University from 1999 to 2001, leading his team to three straight bowl games, before transferring to Florida A&M for his senior year...
, recently cut by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, Hamilton traded Maas to the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
in exchange for Canadian fullback Jeff Piercy
Jeff Piercy
Jeff Piercy is a retired Canadian football fullback who most recently played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Piercy is an alumnus of Evan Hardy Collegiate, in Saskatoon, where he graduated in 2001....
. Maas initially refused to report to his new club, a move which momentarily held up formalization of the transaction. Maas served as the team's third string quarterback behind Marcus Brady
Marcus Brady
Marcus Brady is a former professional Canadian football quarterback and is currently a wide receivers coach for the Montreal Alouettes. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Toronto Argonauts in 2002...
and Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
. Mass saw limited time on the field with the Alouettes and was released on December 31, 2007.
Back to Edmonton
January 16, 2008 the Edmonton Eskimos announced Jason Maas was back in the green and gold. Come training camp, Maas and Lefors battled for the second string quarterback spot but were both named 2 and 2A by head coach Danny Maciocca. Maas saw about two quarters of playing time in the second pre-season game of 2008 and impressed, completing 16 of 19 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown. Maas remained the Eskimos backup for 2009, but for 2010 seemed to have been demoted to third stringer early in the season in favour of Jared Zabransky. Maas's new tenure was rumored to be an apprenticeship for a coaching job within the organization. However, Maas wished to continue playing if he couldn't play for the Eskimos, so he was released on February 22, 2011 to potentially land with another team. Jason Maas officially retired May 26, 2011 from the CFL after an eleven year career.Personal
Maas's father, a police officer, was shot and killed when Maas was only ten. Maas is married and lives year-round in Sherwood Park, AlbertaSherwood Park, Alberta
Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is located adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary, generally south of Highway 16 , west of Highway 21 and north of Highway 630...
with daughter Makaela and wife Marjean.