Rookie talkin' trash

FIRST, he showed up four days late for training camp.

Then on Monday, rookie import defensive back Demond Washington thought it would be a good idea during practice to trash talk much beloved, much honoured and perennial all-star receiver Terrence Edwards.

If Washington is trying to make a name for himself at Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp, it's working -- sort of.

Washington had the always unenviable assignment of covering Edwards on a couple of routes on Monday and used the opportunity twice to beak off at Edwards as the two men were headed back to the huddle.

A lesser veteran with a lesser sense of humour might have torn the rookie's helmet off, possibly with his head still in it. But Edwards said he just had some fatherly advice for Washington.

"I told him to talk to one of the rookies like that, I'm not a rookie," Edwards said. "I guess he just didn't know."

He does now. "I see that he does good work," Washington said of Edwards. "It was all just in fun. I'm just out here competing and trying to make the team like everyone else."

Edwards said he was also willing to extend Washington the benefit of the doubt due to the fact the two men are almost congenitally wired to bark at each other given that Edwards went to the University of Georgia while Washington won a national championship with the Bulldogs' hated cross-state rival, Auburn.

"He's an Auburn guy and I'm a Georgia guy so there's a mutual rivalry there anyway," said Edwards.

"It's just one of those things when a Georgia guy and an Auburn guy get together..."

LABBE READY: Confidence is a wonderful thing.

Just ask veteran Pierre-Luc Labbe, who's in a battle with Henoc Muamba, the Bombers top choice in the 2011 draft, for the starting middle linebacker position. A special teams stalwart, Labbe's only start on defence came at the end of last year, in the East Final and in the Grey Cup, when he helped fill in the void left by the injury to Joe Lobendahn.

"I did everything I had to do in the off-season," Labbe said. "I'm ready to play and I'm more confident. This is my fifth season, but I played more than any other season last year. It was special (when I started) and I was nervous, but I feel great about things now. I've been through it."

Labbe said he only recently watched the Grey Cup again. He said he played "pretty well" and admitted to only a few mistakes, but the painful viewing served as a reminder of how far he's come in Winnipeg and where he can go.

"I got drafted 47th out of 48 players (in 2008) and out of the six guys the Bombers took, I'm the only one still here," he laughed. "I must be doing something right."

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

INJURY UPDATE

Defensive end Jason Vega was held out of the second session Monday with a lower-body injury, as was defensive back Brandon Stewart. The club plans to give Stewart a lighter workload during camp to help build up strength in his ankle. He suffered a nasty high ankle sprain at the end of the 2011 season. Running back Carl Volny (knee) and safety Brady Browne (hamstring) were also watching Monday.

THE GRAND POBLAH

Good news, Bomber fans: Get ready to read a lot about Kito Poblah's exploits this camp. Not to oversell it, but the second-year Canadian has looked fantastic through two days of workouts, slashing through defenders every chance he gets. Poblah appears bigger, faster and confident with the football. On top of that, he also seems to be the favourite target for quarterback Buck Pierce in the early going.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 5, 2012 D3