6/29/2007 8:17:43 AM
Winnipeg VS Edmonton #1; A Tie!??!?!

I can’t think of a less satisfying way to end a football game then the tie score that showed when the gun went off yesterday night. To a player a tie is pretty close to a loss in terms of the lingering, unsettled feeling that’s left as a result post-game. It just makes you feel as if there’s unfinished business or something. I would have rather lined up our fastest guy and raced there’s for the win at the end or a game of chess, or a swordfight or something…anything but a tie! I understand what everyone is talking about when they say that it’s an optimistic start, and there were good things and promising points that can be brought out from the game and all, but it still leaves a bad taste to me. To me, it just means that we didn’t do enough at some point in the game to put them away. We never trailed throughout; we led from the front and simply never put our foot on the gas during the home stretch. I wouldn’t say that we dominated that team but I felt that it was a strong enough performance to get the win ultimately, so in that regard it’s disappointing.

On the flip side, the game was a blast to play in. I haven’t been involved in a back and forth game like that in a long time, and it really gets your competitive juices flowing. Once we stop killing ourselves with penalties I think we may be an alright team for the most part. Milt Stegall is still smooth as ever which doesn’t really make sense to most people at 37 yrs old, but if you knew him…it would make perfect sense. He’s the only person I’ve ever met that puts as much care into his body as I do. No alcohol or drugs of any kind at any time, just good healthy food, vigorous exercise and rest. You’d be surprised what your body can do for you if you don’t poison it. It was nice to be able to congratulate him on tying the record after the game.

It’s funny, I’ve noticed that there are players in the league on other teams that I tend to identify with for whatever reason and pull for when they aren’t playing against me. Kevin Glenn is one of them partly because he grew up a stone’s throw from me in Detroit, and partly because he’s been counted out his entire time as a starter, by everybody it seems. It’s good to see him play well, but I still wish he could have thrown an interception or two.

On a side note, I thought Sideeq Shabazz, T.J. Acree and Ricky Ray played terrific games for us, Tony Tompkins as well just to name a few.

I’m not one to linger over wins or losses for very long, so I’m certainly not going to dwell on a tie. Time to start prepping for B.C. as that will be a big test for this team, and I plan to be ready. ©

KP8

6/27/2007 11:41:11 PM
Hope Springs Eternal

Some may argue on behalf of Christmas, but I’m sure this time of year must rank right up there near the top with CFL fans as one of the best times of the year. We’re talking about the day before the new CFL season kicks off, and it’s now finally official…put up or shut up. All of the moving and shaking that was done in the off-season will be justified or rebuked starting tomorrow. All of the office field generals and armchair quarterbacks that hated “this” trade, and would have cut “that” guy, and kept “so-and-so” because he has more upside are going to either be proven right, or terribly wrong starting in a few hours. The questions that are on everyone’s mind will be put into the first light and scrutinized heavily as for the first time in over 6 months, football is back in the CFL and it’s for real.

As a fan of the league myself I can see why this is such a special time, especially for those die-hard fans that are with the club through thick and thin. Now is the time for optimism! Everybody is undefeated at this point, nobody is the clear cut winner and your team has just as good a chance of running the table as anybody right? Why not us? Why not now? Right?!?! Well…it’s a nice theory anyway, and I can dig it. In the next few hours, we’ll begin to get an idea if that guy your team traded for can regain his form from a couple of years ago, or if he’ll bust. Or if that other guy has actually lost a step and age finally caught up with him, and if that young hungry defender that caught your eye at training camp will materialize into the next (insert name here…) instead of just arguing about it with no end in sight with your buddies. Ah yes, it’s indeed a great time of the year.
As a player in the league, this is like the calm before the storm or the gasp before the great plunge into uncharted waters. No matter how long our tenure in the league we as players never truly know what the outcome is going to be of the season no matter in what esteem we hold our own squads. There is simply too much parity within this league for things to be set in stone like that. Especially since Ottawa bowed out and the players from that team were dispersed throughout the remaining teams, it truly is anybody’s game on any given day. For us we’ve really got to trust in our own personal preparation, the team scheme, and buy into the system that we’re playing in if we are to have a chance at maybe getting a fast start and jumping on some of the other teams before they can realize what hit them. In this regard, I think some teams like B.C, Montreal and Toronto may have an edge on others, simply because there is less turnover at key positions it seems. They’ve been able to keep their nucleus intact for some time so that any new players would fall in line with the flock so to speak. Others like Edmonton, Hamilton, and Saskatchewan may have a harder road from that particular standpoint, but have that “Young and Hungry” factor working for us. It’ll be interesting to see which holds more weight this year. If I had to guess, I’d say it would be a combination of buying in, and being hungry enough to sacrifice for the greater good of your teammates that will end up prevailing ultimately, but again…we shall see.

You’ve gotta love this time of year really, for now is when the “experts “come out to say it’s all just a formality really, having taken the liberty of deciding the seasons outcome. From the final game itself to the basement dwellers, and even those who will walk away with the awards at the end of it all. I often wonder how they get around to monitoring all of our off-season regiments to see how our skills are progressing, what shape we’re getting into and to all of our training camps to see who’s making strides from the previous years. I know if I had that type of clairvoyance I’d be in Vegas right now no doubt!

Ah, but truth be told nobody has a clue. We’re all in the dark and just going on a combination of past success /failure combined with hope and a touch of narcissism to try to formulate our own ideology for what will occur in this 2007 CFL season. Now that it’s upon us, I’m tickled pink because I’m not much on gambling, I go more for sure things. And for me the only things that are certain are that Tomorrow I’ll be wearing #8, at some point tomorrow, I’ll be hit…hard! God willing, I’ll get up. And if I do get up it is certain that I’ll hit somebody back just as hard as I was hit. Other than that, we’ll just have to see how it shakes out because nobody has any idea how this season is going to end up once that 1st whistle blows.

That’s why they PLAY the games!

Good luck in 2007 Everybody…stay healthy. ©

KP8

6/25/2007 10:24:51 PM
Ch-Ch-Changes

It’s in our nature to fear change it seems, which to me is somewhat ironic because for anything to become the norm it must have endured change at some time. There are roughly 20 new members of the 46 man roster here in Edmonton, and I think this makes some people uneasy, which is natural I think for those that have become accustomed to knowing exactly what to expect from their Eskimos. Edmonton was one of the few franchises in this league for quite a while that didn’t really undergo tremendous overhaul year after year. I don’t recall there being a vast influx of new faces every year, at least not on the defense that I was playing against. I was constantly being hounded by Malcolm Frank, Donnie Brady and Shannon Garrett for what seemed like an inordinate amount of years. And then would have to come across A.J. Gass, Singor Mobley and Terry Ray on crossing routes which was a world of fun as you can imagine. But bit by bit those pieces changed over on that defense, as did the offence over time. A mainstay like Terry Vaughn gave way to Mookie Mitchell, Kez Mckorvey gave way to Jason Tucker and Ed Hervey has somehow fused into a mixture of people on our current team depending on who is telling the story. When I came into the league it was Nealon Greene leading the green and gold, not Jason Maas or Ricky Ray and I don’t know how many ball carriers have been through during that 7 year span and carried the ball here in Commonwealth. There’s one thing that all of those players have in common though, in common with each other as well as in common with the 20 new members of the Eskimos team like myself. They were all evaluated, scrutinized and put in positions to continue the legacy by Edmonton Eskimo brass.
The success that this club has enjoyed for so long has to do with a great deal of influences in my opinion; The fan support that the team receives consistently, the great football atmosphere here in Edmonton, the high quality players that put on the jersey and the Edmonton Eskimo brass that hand picks each of those players. The quality of players that have graced the practice fields of Clarke Stadium over the years would be difficult to match at any level in my opinion. To me that is a reflection of either the fantastic weather that Edmonton enjoys which no doubt brings players running from Florida, Texas and California, or the men in the war rooms that scour North America for not only the best players available…but those able to be Eskimos.

Some may be worried about my fellow “newbies” and I as we stare down our 1st CFL test this week against Winnipeg, but call me an optimist because worried isn’t the word I’d use. To me it’s just terribly exciting to be one of those chosen few who get the opportunity to endure the talk, criticism, comparisons, and of course the lofty expectations that come with being part of a changing of the guard in a place like this. I get to be part of a receiving corps that is barely recognizable to the average Eskimo fan with names like Acree, Stamps, and even a brand new Gaylor. So many questions for us as a corps, “Who will replace Hervey’s big play ability? Who will take the pressure off Tucker? Will we be able to gel before mid-season?” And that’s just for the receivers! I can only imagine the questions for the linebackers with A.J. out, and for the secondary with all of the new faces there. I think the main difference between the changes this year, and the changes the Eskimo fans have endured in previous years is that these are wholesale changes in a lot of ways. And I can understand how that can be tough to swallow for everyone who has become accustomed to Eskimo football looking a certain way, from certain players…there’s comfort in the familiar.

I play the same slot that Mookie played, that Terry Vaughn played before him – big shoes to fill right? Both will be in the Hall of Fame, and both made countless plays for these Edmonton fans for many years. Maybe I should be worried, perhaps I should step back and think about all that’s being asked of me, maybe all of us new Eskimos should! I doubt we will though. I know I won’t, and I feel confident in speaking for the other new additions as well in saying that there is no reason to be afraid of the success that has come before us, or not living up to the standards that are expected in this town. The Edmonton Eskimos will be successful long after none of us are playing any longer, just as they were long before any of us thought about playing. The fact that we have been chosen to carry the torch, and to be the team that rights the ship in Titletown is proof enough that we can keep our personal self confidence on the shelf for a rainy day, because so many people have confidence in us.

While it is our own self confidence that will sustain us through the rigors and tests of this season, it’s the fact that the veteran Eskimos have embraced us, and the coaches have hand-picked us, and that we have faith in each other that will let us hit the ground running on Thursday night without feeling the need to look over our shoulders.
Change…is inevitable. ©

KP8

6/23/2007 11:00:59 PM
When The Dust Settles…

Well, training camp is officially over and the roster is made. The 2007 Edmonton Eskimos are in place and we begin our first practice for the 2007 season in a matter of a few hours that will come quickly for me tonight. Some of those that ventured down this path three weeks ago aspiring to be a part of this team for this year will get little sleep this evening however as final cuts were made over the past two days. It’s an odd feeling to be cut from a professional team, especially after you’ve already made at least one team in your career. After you make that first one, you really and truly feel in your heart that you should and will make every team, every year that you try out for. Sadly, it doesn’t quite work out that way but the odd thing is that, even when you know as a player that you may be “on the bubble” or teetering between employment and unemployment…it’s still completely shocking. Many will say in their exit interview that they weren’t surprised, or that they saw it coming or what have you, but our confidence as players dictates that even when in doubt, we still feel that we’re the best option for the team. Then again how shocked could we be right? I mean from the time we report to camp in most cases, the battles are laid out there in black and white on the front page of the sports section. From there, we’re put into direct competition for reps at our first position meeting, when the depth chart is laid out for training camp, and it snowballs from there. Each day is chronicled by news beat writers, and fans who make their daily assessments online, and of course the ever present eye in the sky that see’s all…the camera that is. Every mistake is noted, every success recorded and the evaluation process begins at every position. And this is how it is at every position, for every year, for every one of us.

The rare exception comes when you have a franchise player, or a perennial all-star that happens to be in his prime and also has a big fan in the head coach or general manager. If that’s the case for you as a player then God bless you and enjoy it while it lasts, for time outruns us all. Take Mookie Mitchell for example, who was by all means that franchise player for the majority of his career in the CFL. I can’t imagine there has been too many camps that Mookie was worried about his job in the least, and rightly so! Mookie should be a first ballot Hall of Famer much like a Terry Vaughn or Milt Stegall will be and has been the man for more years than I can count. Yet sometime between 5 yrs ago in Toronto and this evening, it was decided that he has lost enough in his game to warrant his being replaced. This is a part of the game that we as players knew about and accepted a long ago when we signed our first contract, but it’s much easier to accept when you’re a twenty-something on the way in, as opposed to a thirty-something on the way out. You want to know the truth about Mookie Mitchell? Has he lost a step? I’ve never timed him, but I’ve seen him go 1 on 1 against men 12 yrs his junior and make the young lads look like they’ve never covered before in their lives. And that was just last week!

So to me the real question is what makes Milt Stegall at 36 yrs, less replaceable in Winnipeg then a Mookie Mitchell in Toronto or Edmonton statistics aside? The answer may be more about scouting, than ability. If Winnipeg had been able to find a young man to put up numbers comparable to Milt’s within the last 5 yrs to unseat him, perhaps his spot as “The man” wouldn’t be so secure. Perhaps it depends more on the quality of the new blood and less on the old thoroughbred losing steps then people may think. Regardless of the reasoning behind it, I learned a great deal from Milt for a year and a half, and then for the past 3 wks I’ve watched Mookie and Jason Tucker intently absorbing as much as possible from them as they make it look so easy. It definitely saddens me to know that those may have been the last times I could watch Mookie do his thing.
Often times, its bitter sweet on cut-down day when the dust settles. On one hand the bullets have ceased and I’m glad to be alive. As I look around to see who’s alive with me, it’s nice to see that my camp roommate T.J. Acree is still alive as well! I’m happy for him and he’ll do a fine job for us this year. But by the same token, Mookie’s release comes as a direct result of T.J.’s emergence. Like I said…bitter sweet when the dust settles. But glad to be alive.

To all of those around the league who got bad news today, good luck in all you do and keep your head up. ©

6/19/2007 8:16:24 PM
Last Chance

The last pre-season game is the last opportunity for us to prove our worth to the club, and show that we are indispensible assets to the success of the team. The sobering effects of the previous week’s cuts tend to have a variety of effects on players. On one hand they can be a down point and provide a quiet week of practice and reflection on what you’ve done to come this far, and maybe even how to expand on it to actually crack the roster. One’s thoughts may revert back to all of the stories and exploits heard and recalled during the previous two weeks interactions with some of best football players North America has to offer, and recapping some of those will have you considering yourself quite fortunate. More than fortunate perhaps, you must be a pretty good ball player yourself!

A euphoric feeling can take a hold of you during this week if you allow it too, it will probably be short lived however since the final roster must be down to 53 players by this weekend and it finally sets in that this could be a make or break 4 quarters under the lights of Commonwealth Stadium for you. As a player this is the point of training camp where you’re beginning to have a firm grasp on what’s being asked of you, and should you make the team what your role may be on it. The nights involve more time for sleeping perhaps instead of sleep being secondary to the importance of the playbook. It’s an exciting time as a player because for the first time in training camp, you should be able to go out and PLAY the game you’ve chosen to play for so many years instead of the THINKING which is what you’ve been doing thus far in camp. Now will be the time that the plays and assignments are firmly planted in your mind from repetition, meetings, and late night study sessions with other players and because these assignments and concepts are more comfortable to you, your athleticism can come to the forefront. As a defensive back or linebacker, your instincts can come into play more so because you now understand what area you’re defending. As a running back, you know where the hole is supposed to be so you can trust it more and hit it that much harder. It’s a joyous time!

Joyous in many ways, but utterly petrifying if you allow it to be because this is also the game that could define whether or not this dream is actualized for you. For the first year player, new to pro football but having aspired to play in the NFL or CFL since the first cleats were laced up, this becomes a form of show and tell. To not make this team at this time, could pose doubt in one’s abilities and even pose the question “Is this really for me?” in the mind of a young athlete who’s thought of nothing else since they can remember. I know those doubts crept into my head on the drive back from Green Bay for me, and I’m quite sure I’m not the only one. Nothing is more dangerous to the livelihood of a pro athlete than the presence of doubt or loss of confidence.

For a vet like myself, believe me…it’s no less grueling a process. Maybe even more callous than that of a rookie because as a veteran we’ve invested in this game as our profession already. Plans have been crafted, flights have been booked for family to come up and stay, living arrangements have been made, and lives have been put on hold for this selection process to unfold once again. That’s a lot to go through every season to be honest, so most vets plan on MAKING the team, which is great from a confidence standpoint, but the reality is in a situation like the Eskimos are in…change is inevitable. The certainty is that many of us veterans will have our lives completely altered by this game. Ironically, the pre-seasons are usually the games that we as vets use as tune ups for the REAL season, yet this one could potentially alter or end some of our careers.
Such is the life we’ve chosen, or in my case…the life that has chosen me. To be honest, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I wouldn’t trade my recess for anything as a youngster, and to me this is no different.

For those of my teammates reading this…play fast and show up. I wish you all luck in this and all you do. Enjoy your recess gentlemen, I know I will. ©

KP8

6/17/2007 10:36:36 PM
1st Wave

I’ve never gotten used to the cuts, it’s just not natural to me. Some guys keep their distance from the rookies so that they don’t get too attached to them which makes it easier to deal with on cut down days, but I’m not sure that really works because in this league, it could be a vet just as easily as it could be a rookie…especially with the new salary cap. I make it a point to lend myself to the rookies, for a couple of reasons. One is that you meet some great guys that way, and the other is that some of these young men will be on the team in a matter of weeks. Then they won’t be rookies anymore because we’ll be relying on them to perform like vets in each game, so you’ll want them prepared for fire. I haven’t much to lend to them, but when you’re far away from home, chasing a dream, against impossible odds like those present in the CFL, I think it’s natural to want to hear somebody shoot you straight. You’d want someone to show you the best way to achieve that dream for you, and if they had any insight from personal experience that could be beneficial to you…you’d be all ears.

When I think back to my rookie experience 7yrs ago as well as my rookie experience in the NFL in 2002, I remember all the pros and the cons. I remember both sides of the coin, the vets that took me under their wing like Travis Moore, Aubrey Cummings, Santana Moss, Wayne Chrebet, and Donald Driver. And I also remember the vets that would conspire against me and try to bring light to any mistakes I may make to the coach in meetings, or how they would tell me the wrong routes to run as I break the huddle with them…laughing as I caught the wrath of the coordinator. I always told myself if I was blessed enough to make my way in this game for a while, I would help anyone who asked it of me as best that I could. I can honestly say that I take pride in the fact that I’ve kept to my word in that regard, and have been a source of information and support for younger players that have come after me, even those that are in turn coming for my job. A player confident in his abilities doesn’t shy away from competition, young or old in my opinion. As a competitor you certainly don’t want to beat out a handicapped opponent, so it only makes sense to try to equip the rookies with as much information as they can process and then may the best man win. And at the same time, you come to find out wonderful stories about these men that come from all walks of life and all parts of the world to come and chase the same dream that you’ve been living.

Like the baseball star that laid the bat down to follow his passion and put the pads on that asked me, “Will you teach me how to be a pro?” Or take perhaps the roommates from New Orleans, who are linked by the same traumatic natural disaster. One of them calls me “coach Kamau” on a daily because he says he learns something new from me all the time. The other had the misfortune of injuring an ankle in the pre-season all but nullifying an otherwise stellar camp, and I could see it in his eye on the sidelines as I consoled him when he got his prognosis that he knew his fate was sealed. The pain setting in already with the realization that upon his release, his particular journey homeward would place him back into the even more stressful situation that many who were struck by Hurricane Katrina are still dealing with everyday.

I’ve got to believe that the coaches and powers that be will put together the best team to give us a chance to be successful in this ultra-competitive league, and honestly I do believe that. By the same token…it never gets easier for me.

Bless those whose dream ends here. ©

6/15/2007 1:47:39 PM
Pre-Game

Pre-Game is a unique experience that is different from team to team. Two factors can really impact the dynamic of the pre-game ritual for a player, the Coaches philosophy on game day, and the team dynamic itself. Some coaches like pre-game to go a certain way and like their players to behave in a certain fashion for the coaches themselves to feel that they’re prepared adequately for the task at hand. Other coaches couldn’t care less what you do as a player to get yourself ready to play the game short of being disruptive or disrespectful to those around you. Which is the right way? Who knows…that’s like asking is it better as a player surround yourself with tranquility and calm before the game starts, or chaos and aggressive environments in preparation for the battle you’re about to engage in. It really depends on the player, and depends on the team. I can recall a time in college when I was first starting to play football really, so I sort of adopted the pre-game habits of my teammates. I would make a tape or CD of very upbeat songs, with active booming baselines, aggressive lyrics and fast tempos in an effort to guide my body and mind along the same lines, in order to facilitate a smooth transition into the combat that the game brings. It worked both for and against me it seemed, on the plus side I was a beast of a blocker and ran the ball with reckless abandon. On the negative side, I sometimes would move too fast for the play called, and be out of phase with the offence itself. It was almost as if my mentality would seem to switch somewhat to that of a defensive player for a time, which is not always beneficial to one who plays offence. Since then, I tend to gravitate to smoother, more tranquil sounds through my headphones and images in my head in hopes that they will stimulate both my mind and my body to operate in a fashion that is fluent and effortless to behold. Allowing the training and preparation that I’ve done prior to the game itself to facilitate the rapid responses necessary from my body itself.
Scanning around the Offensive bus as we ride down the road to McMahon Stadium, I see some of the vets engaged in a relaxed card game full of laughter and smiles. Several players are sleeping with headphones on, some glazing over the ready list of the plays to be run in the game and even a couple reading a book. Needless to say, it’s a tranquil scene currently…I wonder if it’s as calm on the defensive bus? ©

KP8

Post Game

The bus ride back gets longer after a loss. Even in the preseason, it doesn’t sit well with most people, especially me. Being that I was only in for a quarter or so of action it was even more difficult for me to sit by and watch us go down in flames in McMahon. The mindset of a playmaker is to feel like things would be different if YOU were out there, whether that may be true or not isn’t really relevant because in your eyes you would be the difference. That being said, it was still interesting to watch our young guys battle and adjust to the Canadian game. I think it’s common for guys to come up from U.S. schools and the NFL camps and not really realize the speed of this game, and how demanding it is on you. The field size, the smaller more agile players at many positions, the extra man, even the fact that we make less makes us hungrier I think. That usually takes guys a couple games to figure out I think, and unfortunately many of them don’t get that long to impress. It’ll be interesting to see how it all shakes out, but for some reason I’m not overly concerned with the outcome of that game in terms of it being an indication of our team’s performance for the year.
It is always scary as a player to see one of your peers down for what seems like too long after a play has ended. But it is absolutely horrific to see one of your own lying flat trying and failing to move his arms and/or legs. It brings about a sobering realization that honestly isn’t at all welcome in the psyche of a pro-football player…the idea that we are mortal. For us to go out and play as fast as we do, with the reckless abandon that is necessary to make the plays that are required of us, we really cannot afford to think about the possibility of injury. The minute it creeps into your mind, you’re defeated already. This is partly why playing through injury is so difficult. Because to enter into a battle knowing you’re already wounded, puts too much of your thought on protecting that wound, which in turn usually leaves you vulnerable to another.
I prayed hard for Brandon Guillory last night and through this morning. And I’m thankful for every step I’m permitted to make on the field of play every day in practice or games. We truly are all on borrowed time, and I hope to make the best of mine.
Get better BG. ©

KP8

6/13/2007 2:03:13 PM
Tradition

I’m sitting in the top of the lower bowl of an empty commonwealth stadium and staring out at the names and numbers that separate the upper bowl from the lowers. I can’t help but wonder what the stories are behind the men attaining that status. I wonder if they forged their paths on Clarke Field the same way that we are this camp. I wonder what events must have unfolded for them to be immortalized in that way, and be recognized in a tradition filled with such great players as the Eskimos have been over such a long period of time, what did these players do to set themselves apart from the rest? What a great feeling it must be to come and watch a game as an Eskimo alumnus and see those names up there. To have put in the camp and meeting hours with them, to see the transition they’ve made from a rookie, to a star, to a veteran, to an immortal. It makes me wonder how many of the players I’m playing with currently will end with their names raised like that. Twenty years from now, I may be telling stories of when I played with Ricky Ray and Jason Tucker and how they were such a force to be reckoned with. Or maybe one of our young guns, our rookies will gain notoriety in their time here this year, building on that success over time until such a time comes that they are in fact the face of the Edmonton Franchise. Occasionally, I’ll see Tom Wilkinson at our practices, and he’s made it a point to give me some pointers, and show me some things he has picked up along the way. He often offers me words of encouragement and support as well, but I have to wonder how many “Kamau’s” has he seen is his day? How many players have come through Edmonton that players like Tom took a look at and said to someone, “That kid can play, he just needs a few tools.”

The thing that makes this place so special to me is the history in it. It’s the knowledge that the Edmonton Eskimos are DEFINITELY bigger than you as an individual. Warren Moon and Tom Wilkinson may come and share stories with you, Brian Kelly and Dan Kepley may chew you out for doing something the wrong way, but the fact that it’s THEM doing it, and THEM saying it, makes all the difference in the world. Because you know that they played this game at its highest level, and more importantly, they played it the way it is SUPPOSED to be played. They are immortals here; their names shine in Commonwealth Stadium like beacons so that anyone who may enter will know just who built this house. So when the builders of the house that you play in, come to you and tell you, “You’re going to be a great player for us.” It really does mean a great deal. Partly because of who they are and what they’ve meant to the organization that you’re trying to be a part of, but mostly because they’re the embodiment of what it means to be and Edmonton Eskimo, and something about you made them think that you could be too…I can’t help but to feel a part of something special here. ©

KP8

6/11/2007 1:41:47 PM
Settle Down

Week 2 of training camp has begun and the feel is much different from the first day of the previous week. The initial buzz and excitement of just being in camp and having the opportunity to show your talents has faded into a blur of soreness, cramping, mild injuries and mental fatigue. The new faces that were flashing across your vision as drills progressed are now recognizable faces with names, stories and distinguishing features in their game that have worn themselves into your mind in the past week of spending so much of your time with the same guys. Everything seems to slow down at this point in camp. We walk slower, time seems to creep by in meetings, practice seems to drag and you feel like you’re not moving as fast as you were initially when camp first opened, but in actuality you’re moving faster in most cases…it’s the game that’s slowing down. As an offensive player, we’re at the point where we’ve installed our entire base offence in its entirety. So naturally, the next thing on the to do list is to fine tune and coach up the specifics involved to make the offence smooth and efficient. Interestingly enough, it takes one week to install a whole offence but takes years to fine tune it to the point where it’s fully functional and efficient in the eyes of the coordinator at the helm.

I’ve never been in the same offence for more than 1 year since college, so I can only speculate as to what it must be like to come into camp knowing the playbook and not having that mental overload aspect of the game to worry about. Come to think of it, that would be fantastic! I could get so much more rest and take much better care of my body for sure, and there would be no awkward days because the mental part of the game is not in play, which means no thinking…no thinking means just reacting…and reacting is just being an athlete. What a life that must be!!

But that hasn’t been the road for me. This will be my 12th offensive scheme learned in only 7yrs of professional football, so naturally I’ve had to learn how to digest and understand schemes quickly in order to make a statement in camp early, and this camp has been no different. Fortunately for me and the rest of the 2007 Eskimos, the worst is behind us. All we must do now is fine tune, game plan and then execute when it counts. In training camp though, it’s not just the pre-season that counts…it’s every snap of every day that is being evaluated. So the best thing to do is keep the playbook open for reference every chance you get, settle down, and make the plays that come to you. ©

KP8

6/10/2007 11:32:17 PM
Post –Scrimmage

Getting a look at our team in uniform and going through the pre-game motions of preparation to play was pretty exhilarating I’m not gonna lie. You may think that it would be old hat to me by now with all of the teams that I’ve been on, but you’d be wrong. It’s just different out here. We’ve got a great group of guys that are committed to doing whatever it takes to be on top come November, and the scrimmage while exciting and something to look forward to, now that it’s concluded puts a feeling of impending doom in your mind. My roommate is T.J. Acree, a third year receiver out of Boise State with fantastic footwork, speed to burn, hands to match and a familiarity with this offence from his time in B.C. with Jacques. He’s had a great camp up to this point, but suffered a hamstring strain a couple of days ago and had to miss the scrimmage. Every single player knows that the scrimmage is a way for the higher ups to gauge and decipher which players they may like to take a closer look at in the pre-season game later this week, and those that this may be the end of the line for. That being said, I can tell you from personal experience that when you’re in a situation like my roommate is in (injured) you better have a mental plan of action to deal with the coming duress that follows the condition of not being able to show your stuff. There must be a certain level of confidence in self that you’ve shown well enough to impress, combined with a drive to want to show more, and a sensibility to know your body well enough that you realize when you’d be misrepresenting yourself by even stepping out on the field and trying to fight though the injury. It’s a terribly fine line to walk though, because many coaches will tell you “Out of sight out of mind.” Or, “You can’t make the team in the tub.” Both referencing the ideology that if you’re not out there performing, or at the very least trying to perform…you could be lessening your chances of employment. It’s in the coming days that the ugly side of the game rears its head, and I don’t mean coming across the middle to A.J. Gass, Antico Dalton, or J.R. Larose. I’m talking about the fact that for a week and some change now, I’ve spent almost every waking hour with about 70 other guys that are focused and committed to achieving the same goal as I am…winning a grey cup. And these 70 guys have just the same motivations as I do, family, livelihood, love of the game, and love of competition. Much like I have with my roommate T.J., I’ve come to admire and respect these guys in spite of the fact that if I’m to make this roster, I know it will be directly at the expense of some of them. When you actually think about it…it’s kind of staggering to know that we all have the same mindset regarding this dilemma.

70 guys…50 spots = him or me.

I digress…©

KP8

6/9/2007 10:57:11 PM
Pre-Scrimmage

Different strokes for different folks. Just like anything else in life, when faced with a pressure filled situation people react and manage those situations in very different ways. I mean think about it, if you had one 2 hr controlled scrimmage in which to showcase your talents to the powers that be, in which if you happened to have a bad day your family would have to find a new plan to put food on the table…how would you prepare for that? How would you manage the pressure?

While in 7yrs of pro football and 4 yrs of U.S. college ball, I’ve seen pretty much all of the different ways that guys deal with these types of make or break situations. Everything from excessive vomiting, to extreme relaxation methods and all in between. It’s ultimately in our best interest as athletes to find a way to deal with this type of pressure ASAP if this is the line of work we choose to pursue. We’ve got our inter-squad scrimmage tomorrow afternoon and it will give me another opportunity to use the methods that I’ve cultivated over my own years of competition into another pressure filled situation, and find out if I can answer the call once again. The reality is though that for some people on this team, this will be their last chance to impress the higher ups and stake their claim as someone that the Eskimo organization needs to be successful this season. So what makes us able to deal with such pressure filled situations so well? What gives athletes the ability to rise to the occasion time and time again in sink or swim scenarios that others would find too much to bear?

If I had to guess, I’d have to say it goes back to the days of recess. If not recess then definitely the games played at young ages, in which the seeds of competition were sown. It’s at that time that athletes begin to develop that ultra-competitive instinct and drive that perhaps sets us apart from other forms of competition in everyday life. I’m only hypothesizing of course, but I know for me personally, tomorrow is just like recess to me. RECESS…very much like practice is, and just like the games will be, and exactly like the playoffs after that, the only difference being the size of the playground. That was where I realized that I was different in some way from my peers, and that’s where my desire to test my skill against the best from other playgrounds was forged, and that is where my mind will be tomorrow.

So if you see me smiling a great deal with a focused look in my eye, do not be alarmed…just having some fun before the bell rings. ©

KP8

6/8/2007 9:56:05 PM
Groundhog Day

Day 4 and 5 are pretty much where it starts to set in that you’re kind of in this ordeal to stay, and there’s nothing you can do but grit your teeth and bear it. The monotony, of the daily routine really give the idea of that Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day” in which he kept awaking to the same day over and over again making it seem as if it was all one very, VERY long day. Well that’s pretty much it in a nutshell. The 5:30am wake up for the 6:00 am breakfast wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t preceded by meetings from 4:30pm -11:00pm with a break for dinner for an hour. The grind at this point is in full swing, and it’s extremely easy to let your play suffer as a result of not being mentally durable enough to focus through the monotony of the camp regiment. With practice from 7:45am-12:30pm and lunch at 1:00pm simple math will tell you there’s barely enough time before the next set of meetings to get any treatment that you may need, lift weights if necessary and MAYBE sneak in a nap in order to stay awake for the coming evening meetings. Heaven forbid you actually have some manner of business to attend to at home or something that requires your attention during this time of year because it will only serve to hinder your progress on the field. The key is to dial in fully for about 2-3wks to football, and football alone if at all possible. I’ve been getting better and better at this over the years and as a result, camp seems to get easier to me. ©

KP8

6/7/2007 1:31:36 PM
Omens

As a receiver, you want the first thing to come back to you from a long layoff of football to be your vision. Being able to pick up the flight of the ball is an integral part of catching it. Being able to pick it up in the air in time to get your body and hands in place in order to make the catch is something that sometimes takes guys a couple of days or even a week or so to gain back after a hiatus. The first thing that you actually get back is your speed and strength in terms of just running around and getting open. And the last thing to come is usually your footwork, and by footwork I mean break point mechanics, and foot speed in and out of cuts, or to avoid contact. For me personally, it’s taken my footwork 4 days to get to where I feel even remotely comfortable with it. I run a ton of routes during the offseason, and do a multitude of drills to facilitate a smooth transition, but unfortunately there’s no substitute for the real thing it seems. For the reasons stated above as well as the fact that in a new offensive scheme, there is more thinking than reacting going on for the first few days from an offensive standpoint, it is to be expected in most cases like ours that the defense will outshine the offence for the first little while. How little a while can depend on the defense, as well as how quickly that offensive scheme is learned, applied and allowed to gel cohesively. One of the best things I’ve noticed about this camp is that, our offence, while it is new to everyone top to bottom From QB, to O-line, to Receivers/Backs…has not been outshone and has not looked out of place at all. This could of course be interpreted in two ways, that the offence will be very good, or that the defense may not be clicking on all cylinders yet, but either way I think it bodes well for the Eskimos as a team. For one, even if the defense isn’t clicking yet, with the athletes, and coaching that we have in place…it most certainly will be sooner than later. And second, if the offence can maintain and build on this trend as we become comfortable in this system...well…put it this way, it’s very difficult to lose a game if you’re outscoring the other team.

I digress…©

KP8

6/5/2007 3:54:19 PM
Camp underway;

The first two days of camp are pretty much the sizing up phase. While you’re trying to make your own impression and stand out by your own play, your eyes can’t help but to wonder and marvel at the caliber of athletes that you’re in the company of. From my perspective, I’ve played against many of these guys on other teams so I’ve got the game time assessment of them, but it’s a different thing to see them in a day in day out competitive camp situation. And this IS a competitive camp situation! The depth at many of the positions promotes a very cutthroat free-for-all in ever practice period, which in turn makes for some great viewing if you like football and can recognize what it takes for some of these plays to be made by the athletes involved. Not to mention the class of young guns that we’ve brought in hungry to earn a job and to make any play that comes their way, this team is certainly not short on talent. The re-acclimation to football itself, (the pounding and impact, as well as the constant, running and leg strain from cutting all of the time, the back strain from wearing cleats on artificial turf) is really the easy part of the camp itself, it’s the mental aspects...the 30-40 plays that get entered nightly, the mental strain to battle fatigue and injury, as well as the sleep deprivation, and lest we forget the fact that most of us are miles and miles away from all friends and loved ones during this time which can be the hardest thing for some. ©

KP8

6/3/2007 10:28:55 PM
Camp Log; Day 1

Well, I must say it felt good to get started up again. At the same time, the apprehension and strain are unbelievable. The rich sense of CFL lore and history is so evident within this city in just the few days that I’ve been riding around in it is truly unbelievable. It’s a great honor to be among those who have called themselves Eskimos. The changes that came from last year’s season results here are well documented. Being one of them produces mixed feelings really, from my end as a player that was chosen to come in and try to help right the ship it’s privilege to me. By the same token the Eskimos that I’ve come to know over the years of playing against them are no more, simply because so many of them that were the faces of the franchise have gone to make way for others like myself, Jason Goss, Stanford Samuels, T.J. Acree etc. to carry on the great tradition that they have cultivated.
I always marvel at what actually goes into creating a training camp situation. From top to bottom, from the 70 or so players past, present and future who go through a rigorous offseason in attempt to crack the 53 man roster in June. To the coaches who toil and strain to come up with the perfect mixture of game planning, personnel decisions, and team management dynamics that would top their previous year’s work in the same realms. It begins with the check-in and physical, and this is really where teammates of old can admire each other’s offseason conditioning program as well as reflect on what they have missed in the past 6 long months. For the teams, this is a chance to see firsthand what kind of shape your guys are in before you actually get them out on the field as well as make sure that they have no outstanding injuries that they may have sustained during their time off.

From a player standpoint the physical is somewhat of a formality that we all go through, and accept as a part of the business. Depending on the team these physicals can be somewhat rigorous and demanding physically, sometimes involving conditioning/strength tests that are really the last thing a player would be looking to do at this point in the year. Reluctant not because they aren’t prepared, or aren’t competitive, but once you grasp the concept as a player that this is your primary means of income to support your family and any injury you sustain before you can actually prove yourself on the field would seriously damage your chances of making that 53 man roster that I referenced earlier…you just want to play at this point.

Fortunately for us Eskimos, our coaching staff must subscribe to a similar philosophy because we didn’t do any strenuous testing this year aside from a fitness test during the physical that measured our fitness level through recovery , respiratory output, and heart rate which wasn’t so bad, and most importantly to my knowledge, nobody was injured doing it. I’ve been on other teams where we weren’t so fortunate in the amount of strenuous testing that we were subjected to, nor as fortunate as to the amount of walking wounded, that entered the 1st day of camp hindered or sidelined subsequently. ©

KP8