Cameron Judge is looking out for No. 2 in Year 2.
Judge was the second pick overall in the 2017 CFL draft, but the linebacker played only three regular-season games with the Saskatchewan Roughriders before a shoulder injury ended his season.
Now that he’s healthy, Judge is eager to show that he deserved to be the No. 2 pick in the draft — and he feels like he’s doing just that.
“It’s definitely one of my goals to prove that I’m not a bust,” the 23-year-old said Monday after the Roughriders’ closed practice at Mosaic Stadium. “I think I’m on my way to proving that this is where I belong.”
Judge, who was born in Montreal but raised in Thousand Oaks, Calif., played 47 collegiate games over four seasons with the UCLA Bruins. A team captain in his senior season, he played middle linebacker and outside linebacker for the Bruins and also was a special-teams stalwart.
After the CFL draft, the 6-foot-2, 235-pounder attended rookie camp with the NFL’s Houston Texans, but didn’t get a contract offer. He missed the Roughriders’ training camp in Saskatoon and their two pre-season games because he was completing his degree and graduating from UCLA.
Judge reported to the Roughriders on June 19 of last year and got in a few practices to get acclimated to his new surroundings and to the Canadian game.
He was in the lineup for the Roughriders’ regular-season games on June 22, July 1 and July 8 before being sidelined. After undergoing shoulder surgery, he spent the rest of the 2017 season on Saskatchewan’s injured list.
“It was definitely frustrating, especially missing camp and then only playing for about 20 days or so until I got injured,” Judge said. “It was tough after wanting to come up here and play, but it is what it is. I’m just glad to be back.”
Entering Thursday’s game against the host Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Judge has outdone himself this season. He has appeared in four regular-season games in 2018, surpassing his number of appearances in 2017.
“I was looking at something last night that said, ‘Games played last year: Three’ and this year, I’m at four,” Judge said with a grin. “I was like, ‘Oh, I’m already passed the mark.’ It was nice looking at that. I didn’t even realize it until I saw it.
“You very rarely know that he’s on the field. All you do is see him make plays.”
“It feels good, especially with how my body’s feeling. It’s nice that it’s holding up this year.”
And Judge is holding his own, too. He backs up starter Sam Hurl at middle linebacker, but gets inserted into games on a regular basis in certain defensive packages.
Through Saskatchewan’s first four games, Judge has five tackles and a pass knockdown on defence and two tackles on special teams. As a CFL rookie, he recorded four special-teams stops.
Roughriders head coach-GM Chris Jones said Judge “has had a very nice year so far.”
“He’s not a guy who goes out there and runs his mouth and you know he’s there every day,” Jones said. “He’s just a guy who shows up for work.
“You very rarely know that he’s on the field. All you do is see him make plays.”
Judge has shown an ability to cover receivers when required and to make sure tackles, whether on defence or on special teams. His versatility and athleticism are serving him well in his second CFL season.
“I still have room to improve, each and every practice and each and every week, so I’m trying to do that,” he said. “So far, it has been a great year and I’ve had a lot of fun. I feel like I’m a lot better player in these four games than I was in the three I played last year.
“My knowledge of the game is better and I’m more used to the (bigger Canadian) field. It’s basically second nature now; it’s hard to even remember the fields I played on before. I’m also more familiar with the game and how it’s played.”
Judge doesn’t have the physical stature of some of the CFL’s middle linebackers, but Jones doesn’t have any plans to move Judge outside. The plan is to keep Judge in the box, where he can scrape off blocks and make tackles.
“That,” Jones said, “is what he does best.”
Judge had some tough times during his rookie season, especially after it ended. A series of Twitter posts in September — in which he implied that he was retiring — marked the low point, but he got through that difficult stretch with the help of friends and family members.
In his mind, his start to the 2018 season is a reflection of increased maturity on his part.
“I’ve listened to the advice of the older guys on how to conduct business and how to be a professional,” Judge said. “Last year, I was a little raw in those areas coming from college. I definitely feel more accustomed to being an adult and in control of myself.”
