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Buck Pierce directs the offence at practice Wednesday at Canad Inns Stadium, the final rehearsal before leaving for Toronto. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Buck PIERCE went out of his way a couple of times Wednesday to say how much he appreciates everyone's concern for his well-being these past couple of weeks.

But as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers announced Pierce will start this Friday night in Toronto against the Argonauts after missing the last two games with the lingering effects of a concussion, he also went out of his way a couple of times Wednesday to make clear he feels he is more than capable of deciding for himself what's best for him.

"I know how I feel and I know what my body can do," Pierce told reporters after practice. "I say thank you for your opinion and thank you for caring and respecting me enough to care for my well-being.

"But they're not me. They're not in my shoes. This is my career and this is my life."

There were some observers, most vocally former Bombers QB and current TSN analyst Matt Dunigan, who publicly urged the oft-injured Pierce to retire after he suffered yet another concussion last month from an illegal hit by Argos linebacker Brandon Isaac, sustained Sept. 29 at Canad Inns Stadium, the last time the two teams played each other.

But Pierce said Wednesday he has no concerns about long-term health effects from continuing to play. "I feel great. I feel good. I feel back to myself," he said.

He said he found the past couple weeks frustrating as everyone from gas jockeys to national television personalities seemed to have an opinion on whether he should continue to play or simply retire after a season that has seen him knocked out of games three different times and miss a total of 10 games.

"It's frustrating," Pierce lamented, "because there's so much outside influence. Everybody is giving their opinion, telling you what you should do and, you know, 'This is how Buck feels.' Well, nobody really asked me. It's up to the doctors. It's up to the people who have my best interests in place to make those decisions. I just had to trust in that.

"When I look at situations like this, you can really dwell on it and get yourself down. But I've stayed positive. I've probably game-planned and studied more that past couple weeks than I have all year, and I haven't even been playing."

He took all the first-team reps at practice at Canad Inns Stadium on Wednesday and had success throwing to a retooled receiving corps that now includes Kito Poblah playing slotback for the first time. Poblah made a highlight catch at the back of the end zone during practice and was much more involved in the offence working from an inside position than he has been as a wide receiver.

Poblah's move inside has been necessitated by a season-ending injury to regular non-import slotback Cory Watson.

Import slotback Terrence Edwards has been dogged by a bad ankle this week and again missed practice Wednesday, the final full run-through the club will have before facing Toronto.

Bombers head coach Tim Burke said Edwards will travel with the team to Toronto today, but a decision on whether he will play will likely not come until just before game time Friday. If he can't go, Burke said receiver Isaac Anderson will play in Toronto.

The 4-11 Bombers have the thinnest of playoff hopes remaining as they prepare to travel to Toronto today. Winnipeg needs to win all three of their remaining regular-season games and have Edmonton lose all three of theirs just to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Eskimos play in B.C. against the Lions in Friday night's other game.

There are no shortage of hard feelings between the two teams heading into Friday night after what happened the last time they played each other. Isaac was fined for his helmet-to-chin hit on Pierce, as were a couple of Bombers players who scuffled with some Argos immediately after the hit.

Pierce has since said publicly he felt the hit from Isaac was a dirty play, but on Wednesday he proclaimed the episode buried in the past.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 18, 2012 C4