May
Eskimos sign Peach
Courtesy Edmonton Journal:
The Edmonton Eskimos have found themselves a real peach — Greg Peach.
The six-foot-three, 255-pound Eastern Washington University defensive end is expected to be at rookie camp on June 3 and is listed as signed by the Canadian Football League club, although the Eskimos have yet to announce the deal.
Peach finished the Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) season with 18 sacks and was named the Buck Buchanan Award winner, honouring the FCS’s top defensive player.
He finished his career at EWU with 35.5 sacks and established new school marks for the season and career. Peach also set new school records for tackles for a loss with 28 for the season and 63 in his career.
He was projected to be a high undrafted priority signing in the National Football League, but opted for the Esks when the right deal never presented itself.
“It’s hard for me to see myself as the top defensive player,” said Peach, after accepting the Buck Buchanan Award. “Fortunately, there were other people that thought that, and it’s great that I won. It’s a great compliment. But I have a lot of work to do to get to the next level, and I’m going to keep working to get better.”
The 22-year-old native of Vancouver, Wash., finished the 2008 Big Sky Conference season with 72 tackles and is described as being very quick and agile off the ball.
Scouting reports suggested his size may have affected his ability to get to the NFL, but his mobility and closing quickness may make him worthy of a shot as an outside linebacker, although his natural position is as a rush end.
Invited guests
The Esks did announce their guest coaches for training camp, which is set to open June 7 at Clarke Park.
Among them are a trio of Alberta Golden Bears coaches in head man Jerry Friesen and assistants Jason Lafferty and Tim Prinsen. Friesen will work with the linebackers, while Lafferty joins the running backs crew and Prinsen, a former Eskimos offensive lineman, will work with the O-linemen.
Former Green and Gold slotbacks Derrell (Mookie) Mitchell and Rick Walters will assist with the receiving corps, and Bill Dole, a former Saskatchewan Roughriders assistant, will also help with the O-line.
Rounding out the guest coaches is Ace Powell, who brings 30 years of experience at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport level with Ottawa and Carleton and in the junior ranks as head coach of the Ottawa Sooners.
