HE'S a confident football player with good reason. Glenn January has been voted to the CFL's East Division all-star team on the offensive line two years in a row.

But with his newly announced contract extension with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for a year plus an option, you won't find the 29-year-old Houston native doing anything outlandish with his "riches."

"Let me tell you this, I don't think you guys should hold your breath for any Evander Kane-like photos," January told reporters Wednesday. "I'm doing better than I would be in the corporate world."

The Bombers are richer for his continued service, something January is also eager for.

"I think this program is heading in the right direction," January said. "We've got great people from top to bottom. Last year was a real disappointment but we did show signs of life. We were playing our best football at the end of the year and we showed a progression as a young team that was kind of figuring out how to come together.

"I wholeheartedly believe this organization is on the right track."

January, from his left tackle spot, acknowledged some water under the bridge in terms of team shortcomings from the 2012 season.

Asked specifically for his view on quarterback Buck Pierce's injury issues and the position going forward -- a question on so many fans' minds -- January was frank.

"This is professional football and I don't know anybody in that locker- room that was satisfied with the results we had last year," January said. "Buck Pierce is a great competitor, he's a leader, and he gives us our best opportunity to win when he's on the field.

"If you look at our offensive production whenever he's taking the snaps, we're considerably better. Obviously our goal is to keep him healthy and obviously we didn't do a good enough job of that last year."

Justin Goltz, one of Pierce's understudies, will also be back.

"He's a very impressive talent," January said. "He has a lot of different skill sets that make him unique. I think that right now he's got a lot of talent but it's unproven talent.

"He showed flashes in his limited amount of time and I think the future should be great with this kid because he's got a lot of intangibles, he's got confidence without being cocky, he's good-looking... we're excited about having him back."

Wednesday's discussion about his contract extension also saw January presented with a question about his own improvement, to which he provided a modest non-answer.

"So you're saying you're in a non-skilled position?" came back a question from a reporter.

January's quick read, and move from non-committal to clever, illustrated his many all-star abilities.

"I used to play a skilled position in high school," he said. "I know what it's all about. You get the pretty girls, you get to score the touchdowns, you get your face on cereal boxes. Now I'm a part of a unit that takes pride in man-handling other men."

-- staff

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 24, 2013 D3