Jun
Arceneaux is a sleeper pick
Courtesy Vancouver Province:
The hours before the Lions assemble their 46-man roster for a rookie such as Emmanuel Arceneaux can be a lot like the night before Christmas.
The difference for the 21-year-old receiver was that he’d already experienced a similar bout of nervous anticipation and wasn’t keen on a repeat.
It was a little over 10 years ago when Arceneaux woke up Christmas morning and his house had burned down. A space heater in his sister’s bedroom had caught fire, and from that point he knew he’d have to fight for everything he would want to accomplish.
A career goal was realized when the CFL team told him he’d done enough in his first pro camp to earn a roster spot.
Arceneaux’s sleep at a Surrey hotel Wednesday night was a lot more restful than the one he had after the preseason game against Edmonton, where it looked like he’d done enough to stick, but he wasn’t sure.
But it still was nothing comparitively, considering he’s the product of a single-family upbringing in Alexandria, La., lived four years with an aunt in Tacoma, Wash., while his life was being rebuilt all around him, and was told at one point he was too short to play football.
“It’s not the size, it’s the amount of heart you have. It’s been a long journey of overcoming obstacles,” said Arceneaux, who has morphed into a 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame that appears perfect for his new job.
Like so many newcomers on the Lions, the club sees an unpolished gem in Arceneaux, who has all of 32 games of college experience at Alcorn (Miss.) State.
“When you think of training camp you think of Jeremy Gibbs, Jonathan Williams, Arceneaux, Travis Lulay and Martell Mallett,” said GM/coach Wally Buono,
rattling off a list of those with little or no pro experience who made the roster.
“These are guys that have come in and got people’s attention. If we were smart, we would follow the lead of the billion-dollar league [NFL]. They rotate players a lot. If it can better the team, it’s not something we should be afraid to do.”
And that’s exactly what the Lions will do with Arceneaux, working him in with returning veteran Cory Rodgers and fellow youngster Terence Scott in an attempt to harness his 4.5-second speed and develop an eye-catching import receiver.
Until he had a chance to mingle with his teammates at a lunch put on Thursday by the Lions, it had all been a bit of a blur, Arceneaux said.
The adjustments have been typical for a youngster from the deep south with a four-down pedigree — the motion offence, uncertainty about the racial diversity in a foreign country and, naturally, the seemingly-colder weather.
But in the last few days Arceneaux has found a home, one he hopes won’t burn down in the middle of the night.
