Lighter Buck aims to dodge big hits

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This article was published 01/06/2013 (4492 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG Blue Bombers starting quarterback Buck Pierce will head into the 2013 CFL season over 20 pounds lighter than he’s ever been in his professional career.

Pierce told reporters at Investors Group Field Friday afternoon that he’s weighing in these days at about 195 pounds, down significantly from the 215-218 pounds he says he’s typically carried during his CFL career.

While traditional wisdom in football circles has been that players need to bulk up to protect themselves from injury, that hasn’t worked for the oft-injured Pierce and he says he wants to see if the opposite can be true for him — that by losing so much weight, he will be faster in the pocket and more easily able to dodge the big hits in the first place.

‘I feel like I’m back in my early 20s. I feel good. I feel strong, I feel healthy, I feel mentally I’m in a great place with what we’re doing’

— Buck Pierce

“I feel like I’m back in my early 20s. I feel good,” said Pierce. “I feel strong, I feel healthy, I feel mentally I’m in a great place with what we’re doing.”

Pierce said it was his idea to try and get faster by getting lighter — and in the process get more durable — and the Bombers agreed to let him to do it.

Pierce said he’s already noticed a difference after just three days of rookie training camp this week.

“I already feel it in my drops out there. I feel it in my movement, my wind,” said Pierce. “My body feels clean and I feel healthy.”

So how did he lose the weight? Pierce said there was no magic bullet.

“You can still eat great foods and enjoy your meals,” says Pierce, “but you have to eat for purpose and not for pleasure all the time.”

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Bombers head coach Tim Burke said he’s fully in favour of Pierce’s lighter footprint. “I’m for anything that he feels good about,” said Burke, as his club wrapped up their three-day rookie camp with a chilly and rain-soaked practice on Friday.

Burke said he was pleased with the progress this year’s crop of rookies made on offence and defence and all 38 rookies who took part in the last three days have been invited to return to full training camp, which begins on Sunday.

Burke said the only wrinkle is rookie receiver Michael DiCroce, who hurt his foot Friday and did not finish practice. Burke said it’s the same foot DiCroce broke last year and the extent of the new injury is unclear.

There is no Bombers practice today.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca