Courtesy Winnipeg Sun:

Watching someone else taking handoffs from quarterback Kevin Glenn for the last two games was a rather surreal experience for Winnipeg tailback Charles Roberts.

Fred Reid, who replaced the injured Roberts, rushed for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries to lead the Blue Bombers to a 20-17 victory over Montreal here last Friday.

“It was kind of weird seeing somebody else playing my position,” Roberts admitted yesterday. “I’ve been back there for seven years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody play tailback here other than me. It was nice for him, he had a great game. It reminded me of myself when I came in — hungry, energetic and ready to make plays.”

Roberts, who has now fully recovered from a deep thigh bruise, will be hungry, energetic and ready to make plays when Winnipeg plays host to the Alouettes in the Eastern semifinal this Sunday.

“I am (fired up),” he said after his first full practice since suffering the injury. “I’ve been off two weeks and haven’t had to do that before and I’m just ready to go after it .

“I’m no more hungry than I usually am. I just want to get back on the field. It’s like a boxer wanting to get back in the ring. I’d like to get another knockout. I left with a good game and I’d like to get back in with a good game.”

The 5-foot-6, 182-pound Sacramento State product had run rampant over Calgary, finishing with 154 yards and one touchdown on 16 rushes before the injury forced him out late in that 27-13 triumph over the Stampeders.

“I’m feeling a lot better, I’m glad to be back out there,” said Roberts, 28. “I was definitely a little rusty out there (yesterday). Two weeks is a long time, man. I never had to go through that experience before. But I am rejuvenated. My body is 100%, it’s fresh and I look to have a good game.”

Actually, Roberts could have played last week had the playoffs started then.

“The bruising was gone last week but it was still a little tender and I just didn’t want to take a hit on it with the playoffs coming up,” he said. “It was lucky for me that it wasn’t something like a knee or something real major. It kept me out a little longer than I would have liked but it’s all good.”

Roberts broke a media silence for the first time since that Calgary contest yesterday.

“I just didn’t want to talk about the injury,” he said. “I didn’t really have any answers for ya, other than the fact that it was still bruised and hurting a little bit. I was walking fine but I just wasn’t ready to go so, I wasn’t ready to talk.”

Because he missed the last two regular-season games, Roberts lost his rushing title to B.C. running back Joe Smith — by 131 yards.

“Oh man, I’ve dealt with it, it’s all good,” said Roberts, who still finished second with 1,379 yards and 16 TDs on 262 carries. “He had a good year. I still had opportunity if I could have come back last week. I’ll get him next year.

“The rushing title is strictly for pride … I don’t feel like I failed this year. I’ve got a ready-made excuse that I had to miss two games so I can tell him that. I know I could have gotten it if I had played those two games. So, I’ll beat him next year.”

Although ticket sales have been sluggish for the semifinal, one of Winnipeg’s star attractions did not want to get into a debate about it.

“I’m sure the crowd will be out in full force,” Roberts said. “it’s a playoff game.”