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…©