Ex-quarterback Matt Dunigan knows what it's like to try to scramble away from a massive defensive lineman who is barrelling toward him.

Dunigan also knows what it's like to stand stoically as people sample some food he just has prepared on his grill.

Which is more scary?

"That's a very good question," Dunigan said. "Both of them can end up hurtin' ya."

With his new series Road Grill, which debuts tonight on the Food Network, the barbecue-crazy Dunigan seems far more intent on feeding defensive linemen than running from them.

In each episode of Road Grill, the Canadian Football League Hall-of-Famer and his barbecue team travel to a different event and prepare a minimum of three grilled dishes and a summer side dish. As opposed to the bulk of food-themed programming, Road Grill is aimed at average folks as it supplies barbecue tips that can be applied in your own backyard immediately.

"That's a true reflection of me and my skill set," Dunigan said. "I'm more like Tim the Tool Man Taylor than Holmes on Homes, right?"

That said, the 47-year-old Dunigan -- who played for six CFL teams (Edmonton, B.C., Toronto, Winnipeg, Hamilton and who could forget his stint in Birmingham) between 1983 and 1996 and for one season he was the coach and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders -- always has been a passionate backyard griller.

"When my wife Kathy and I lived in Calgary, we had Western exposure on our back porch and patio, and we used to sit out there and enjoy the long Alberta summer days, barbecuing till late at night," recalled Dunigan, who moved to Oakville, Ont., last year. "And you know, Kathy was absolutely right in getting me to throw my hat in the ring (to host Road Grill), because it has been a tremendous step outside the box for me, and a great learning opportunity."

Dunigan admitted that after Kathy had seen a national casting-call for Road Grill and had been urging him to consider it, he needed a little, uh, help before having the guts to send in an audition tape.

"I got a few cocktails in me one Saturday night and told her to get the damn videocamera," Dunigan said with a laugh. "We filmed our video and sent it in, and the rest is history. A little liquid courage goes a long way sometimes."

The Food Network obviously is confident Road Grill will be a success, given that the second season already is being taped. Meanwhile, Dunigan again will be part of the studio crew on TSN's wall-to-wall coverage of the CFL this year.

"I'm just being me, I don't know any different," Dunigan said of his post-football TV career. He was born in Ohio, raised in Texas, went to college in Louisiana and has spent the bulk of his professional life in Canada, and his TV personality seems to draw upon all those backgrounds.

"There are so many solid shows on the Food Network, and so many fantastic chefs and different cultures that are represented, where do we fit in there?" Dunigan wondered. "I don't have an answer for that, but hopefully we find our niche and people enjoy what they see."

BOOB TUBERY

What do House, Bones, Gossip Girl, The Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother?, Two and a Half Men, CSI: Miami, Rules of Engagement and One Tree Hill have in common? They all have their season finales tonight ... Making its network debut tonight on Global is the dark Canadian series Durham County, which has aired previously on The Movie Network and Movie Central.