Jul
O’Neill ready for first start as Stampeder
Courtesy Calgary Herald:
Never doubt for a moment that Tim O’Neill has put in his time.
So when the University of Calgary product makes his first Canadian Football League start at centre tonight for the Calgary Stampeders — taking the place of injured Rob Lazeo — he will have no doubt in his mind that he is prepared.
“I’ve been preparing like I was going to play, so when I did get the word that I was, I already felt like I was prepared,” said O’Neill, 29, who dressed for 14 regular-season and both playoff games for the Stamps in 2008. “I feel comfortable; they have a lot of good players over there, but they line up and play; I have a good grasp of what’s going on out there, so I’m excited to have the opportunity to play.”
That opportunity presented itself on Wednesday when Lazeo left practice to have an elbow injury checked. The situation caught Stamps coach and GM John Hufnagel by surprise; he termed Lazeo’s departure as being for “personal reasons,” but on Thursday in Winnipeg, he confirmed that Lazeo had hurt his elbow.
“It’s still a mystery to me, truthfully,” said Lazeo. “He has a problem with his elbow, and I didn’t know a heck of a lot about it yesterday until he came back from tests. It froze up on him and we don’t quite now what caused it. It didn’t occur during practice, and right now it’s an inflamed elbow that needs to settle down, and hopefully it will in the next two or three days.”
So out goes the 12-year vet; in steps the second-year prospect, although at 29, with a year on Edmonton’s practice roster not included on his pro resume, O’Neill won’t feeling the rookie jitters.
“I have to stay calm, for sure,” he said. “But it’s something I’ve been doing for a long time. I’ve been playing football all my life, so I just have to remember that it’s the same game. I’m out there on the field playing football, so I just have to play and not get too wrapped up in things.”
“He’ll be fine,” predicted Stamps quarterback Henry Burris. “He’s been around a couple blocks. Whether it’s Laz or Tim, I’ll be ready to go. I’ve worked with them both for a couple years now, so having experience with them, I’m definitely comfortable with whoever’s out there.”
Still, the centre is the key position on the offensive line; he barks out instructions to fellow linemen based on the formations of the defence, so it’s not just a matter of safely getting the football into Burris’s hands.
“Communication, No. 1,” said Hufnagel. “Laz did an excellent job for us at identifying the front (of opponents’ defences), of identifying people and getting the offensive line on the same page. So that’s going to be a big challenge for Tim. But then he’s also going to need some help from his linemates.
‘‘The offensive line is a team concept; of any position on the field, the offensive line has to play organized, as a team,’’ said Hufnagel. ‘‘It starts from the centre, but he may need some help from other players to get the job done.
“Tim is excited about his opportunity; he had a good training camp, and it’ll be a big test for him. I’m excited to see what he can do.”
