Courtesy Montreal Gazette:

In a perfect world, Cleveland native Rayshaun Kizer would have grown up and played for his hometown NFL team, the Browns.

He once came close, kind of. The possibility existed of attending the Browns’ rookie camp, but Kizer and his agent figured an offer from the New York Jets was a better fit. And he dressed for three exhibitions last year before his release.

“My dream came through (with the Jets) then,” the 23-year-old rookie said. “And now, the CFL’s another dream. I’m still living the dream.”

Twice, actually, which is a rarity in pro sports.

Kizer started the season playing on special teams for the Alouettes - until his penalty against Saskatchewan punter Jamie Boreham last month sustained a Roughriders drive that resulted in a touchdown. Two days later, Kizer and kick-returner Jason Armstead were released.

Armstead resurfaced in Winnipeg. Kizer? He was invited back to Montreal barely more than a week later, and has started on defence since. He initially replaced injured cornerback Mark Estelle. With Estelle recovered from his shoulder injury, Kizer’s expected to replace the injured Randee Drew at defensive back Friday against B.C.

“I don’t believe in burning a bridge, especially with a young kid who can develop into a good player,” Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman said.

“(Kizer’s release) didn’t come down to one incident. It was about putting the right team together. We might have said goodbye to him, but we never terminated our relationship. We all know that one incident was blown out of proportion. Young guys are going to make mistakes. No one thing put him in that position.”

It’s probably a moot point whether Kizer and Armstead paid the price for on-field mistakes - perceived or not. The point is the rookie coach sent a message to the players that errors won’t be tolerated, and appears to have their attention. The Als lost their next game, but are on a three-game winning streak, threatening to take control of the CFL’s East Division.

Read more…