Regarding Henry

Two Stampeder defenders know how dangerous 'Riders QB can be

Henry Burris has all the tools to be a great CFL quarterback.

Yet there's one trait, one outstanding feature, that makes the former Stampeders pivot stand out from the crowd.

"Other than (Green Bay Packers QB) Brett Favre, he's got the strongest arm I've seen in person," says Stampeders linebacker George White, a former teammate of Burris with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2000.

White works out in Calgary during the off-season with the man known as Smilin' Hank.

Burris and the Roughriders visit McMahon Stadium tomorrow (5 p.m.) in a crucial matchup of division rivals, with White assigned to wipe the grin off his old pal's mug.

"We'll shake hands and be friends when it's all over but he knows I'll be after him all day," says White.

"I'll let him smile a little bit once he's getting up off the ground but that's the only time I want to see those pearly whites of his."

Burris, 29, rejoined Saskatchewan as a free agent midway through last season after spending more than two years with the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears before also peddling his wares in NFL Europe.

Then-Stamps GM Fred Fateri could have recruited Burris, who would have loved a chance to return to Calgary. But, at the time, Fateri was still obsessed with moving Kevin Feterik, son of Stamps owner Michael Feterik, into the starting role and Burris' presence would have thrown a wrench into that game plan.

The 6-ft. 2-in., 200-lb. Burris has stepped into the Roughies' starting role this season while Nealon Greene is sidelined with a broken leg.

While still with the Bears, Burris gained notoriety for filling in for the broken punting machine by tossing bombs downfield to waiting kick returners. Even today, White is amazed by Burris' throwing ability.

"He has a hell of an arm, his arm strength is ridiculous," says White, noting Burris will be tougher to defend against than backup Rocky Butler, whom the Stampeders faced in their season-opener.

"Most quarterbacks can't make the throws he makes and he can make them well and on the run," White says.

"He's a very versatile quarterback, so he presents most defences with a lot of problems."

Secondary coach Mike Roach, a coach with the Stamps when Burris was a backup here for three seasons (1997-99), says the pivot poses several problems for defenders.

"Don't classify Hank as non-runner because he's a little better than average and he can evade the rush," Roach says. "He's more of a passer and he'll throw the ball a lot of times. He'll blend in the running attack a little better and he doesn't consider himself part of the running attack unless he has to scramble. He's older, more experienced (than Butler) and should make better decisions but we're going to try to confuse him."

Stamps defensive lineman Sheldon Napastuk, who played one season with Burris in Regina, points out the difficulty of stopping the mobile passer.

"He's a tough quarterback to defend against because he's creative," says Napastuk.

"He's very dangerous. He's creative, spreads the ball around, makes things happen. He's not afraid to go deep and you never know when it's going to start heating up for him and when he'll start feeling it."