Jun
Stamps challenge lineman
Courtesy Calgary Herald:
Godfrey Ellis’s first day at the Calgary Stampeders’ 2009 training camp was spent getting used to the idea that his surgically repaired left shoulder would stand up to the rigours of life as a Canadian Football League offensive lineman.
Mission accomplished.
His second day? Well, that didn’t start out so well. Two offside penalties in three plays prompted Stamps coach and general manager John Hufnagel to yank Ellis from the drill and send the message that penalties won’t be tolerated.
But when he got back into action a few minutes later, the veteran responded with a solid hour of practice that proved once again why he’s been tantalizingly close to a
starting position in each of his four previous seasons, and could be again based on his size, quickness and, most importantly, versatility.
“He got off to a rocky start in practice today, but I like to see a player respond to adversity,” said Hufnagel afterwards. “He did that and finished with a very good practice.There is a lot on the line, and he had a great opportunity today to prove that show he belongs he should be here, and he did a nice job.”
And he did it in a position he didn’t expect to find himself in when the team hit the field, right tackle. Incumbent Jeff Pilon sat out practice with knee and shoulder woes, and then veteran Antonio Hall left practice with a turf toe.
In stepped Ellis, proving his worth as a player who can fill in at all five positions on the O-line when there’s a need –an invaluable asset in the tight-roster CFL.
“Not to be arrogant, but I have to say I’m pretty proud to be able to do it, and I’m happy that the coaches have given me the opportunity to show that I can,” said the 27-year-old product of the Bahamas. “I just want to get better from here on.
“Every training camp I feel like you have a lot to prove, no matter what your position on the team is.Especially being out for most of the season last year. I had a good start, but unfortunately the injury slowed me down a bit. I just have to prove I’m healthy and ready to go. And so far it’s been good.”
Ellis finished the season on the disabled list; a late-season shoulder injury eventually forced him to undergo rotator-cuff surgery, and left him grinding his teeth on the sidelines as the Stamps completed their run to the Grey Cup.
“Words can’t explain how frustrating it was,”he said. “I’m not going to sit here and say it wasn’t. In my mind, it felt like I was going crazy in my own head. We had a good run, and I was still part of the team. But you just want to be out there while it’s going on.”
Now that he’s healthy, the challenge is to prove he can remain that way for an entire season.
“If you can’t stay healthy, you can’t play,” he nodded. “That’s the main thing for me, and I did have a lot of nerves the first practice. I tried not to show them, and I think I did a pretty good job of not showing it.”
“You don’t know what to expect; you can train and work out hard, but you don’t know what to expect until you’re actually on the field. Now my confidence is back, and I’m going back at it not thinking about it any more.”
Instead, he’s thinking about staying onside and making sure he doesn’t incur the wrath of Hufnagel for the rest of training camp. Based on the way he responded Monday, that shouldn’t be an issue.
“I had to (respond). I had to,” he said with a smile. “I was more pissed off at myself for going offside. That’s expected; when you go offside twice in three plays, you expect to get yelled at. And if he doesn’t yell at me, I’ll yell at myself. It was frustrating that it happened, but at the same time, it was my fault, right? And you definitely have to respond in a positive way.”
