Edmonton Vs BC #1

8/6/2008 9:20:39 PM

Once I heard that Tuck was going to be able to walk in to greet us pre-game, I knew I was in for a battle to keep my emotions in check for the entire night. To my credit – I was right. It took every ounce of strength I had it seemed, not to break down at the sight of him walking stiffly in the brace. Just knowing that he was gliding around that same commonwealth field a couple of weeks prior, making everything look easy, and now the simple task of walking seemed labored for him. I knew from the time that they told us the extent of his injury that the dynamic of our team would instantly change. I knew that everyone's role had changed overnight. With the doctor's diagnosis of Jason's injury, each of our individual responsibilities changed and we would have to embrace such changes immediately if we were to have a chance at winning this season.

I make it a point to listen to classical music, R&B, Salsa, and Jazz before a game just to mellow me out and allow me to think clearly. Try as I might, Vivaldi and Coltrane just couldn't bring my pulse down for this game. I may have served my teammates better as a safety out there with my intensity level, since I was hell bent on hitting someone after that pre-game Tucker sighting. Just seeing him back on his feet again so soon after going through so much, so quickly, made me feel as if there was no effort that I could not give to honor his own.

The first drive was almost perfect. Everyone seemed to be involved, everything that we ran seemed to work just as we'd drawn it up – in a sense, life was good. B.C. was able to do some things to us defensively that we didn't answer well for the majority of the second quarter, which was extremely frustrating to me. After my first catch on the first drive, I was so anxious to make a play and break up the monotony of the game itself that I found myself pacing on the sidelines. That play didn't come for me until shortly into the third quarter, but it's not the play you're thinking. We called a swing screen to the right, and I cracked back on the linebacker and was able to send him off of his feet, which allowed A.J. Harris to reach the corner and get a nice gain. I never know what play it will be each game that dials me in. While I've mastered the art of maintaining a high level of focus throughout the game, it gets even more acute from time to time. As crazy as it sounds – contact centers me. Luckily for me, the next play that I was asked to make had plenty of just that…contact.

After coming down from that catch, the natural reaction for me after being on the receiving end of such a hit is to pop up before the hitter. In doing so, and hearing the ovation that followed I could think of nothing better than to try to deflect as much of that ovation as possible onto who it really should have been for – which was #83. Seeing my team feed off of that action and absolutely take over the game in all facets at a time when it seemed to be up for grabs was amazing. To see my fellow receivers each get into the action and pay respects in their own way to one of our positional captains, was something that I'll never forget.

That was the most emotional game that I've ever played in. Bar none…Grey Cup included. At the same time it was easily the most fun I've ever had on a football field as well. Jason Tucker will be a prominent figure in this receiving corps throughout this season. That was not a one game event. I'll pick my spots as to when I unsheathe the #83 on the undershirt – I'll try to reserve it for catches that I feel honor his legacy. ©

Kp8