Blue delighted with state of Denmark

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This article was published 23/10/2014 (4059 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a forgettable season in which not much has gone right for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in months, one of the few pleasant surprises that will forever stand out about 2014 will be the career season slotback Clarence Denmark has been enjoying.

With 966 yards receiving, the fourth-year Bomber pass catcher has already eclipsed his previous career high for receiving yards. And with two regular season games still to play, it’s now just a matter of time before Denmark also records his first 1,000-yard season — the gold standard for pro football receivers.

Denmark currently sits second in receiving yards in the CFL, trailing only Edmonton’s Adarius Bowman, who is having a freakish season for the Eskimos with 1,352 yards already.

While Denmark’s season hasn’t been as productive as Bowman’s, the Jacksonville, Fla., native has made some spectacularly acrobatic catches this season that have been at least as flashy as anything Bowman has recorded. Just last weekend, the U.S. sports television behemoth, ESPN, made Denmark’s juggling 54-yard catch on a flea-flicker play against the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday the network’s top “Play of the Day.”

It’s quite an accomplishment for a Bombers receiver who wasn’t even supposed to be the top receiver on this team coming into a season in which the club lavished a new $185,000-a-year contract on free agent slotback Nick Moore.

But with Moore struggling with injuries all season long — he’s already missed seven games and is hurt yet again this week — Denmark has stepped in to fill the gaping void.

While the off-season move to sign Moore suggests otherwise, Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said Wednesday he knew all along Denmark had a big season in him.

“When I went through the personnel film prior to taking the job, I thought Clarence Denmark was a guy you need to have on your team.

“He’s developed into a good leader. You talk about injuries, I think Clarence has missed one practice (this season). He just shows up every day and goes to work. He’s just that guy with a lunch pail. You have to respect that, he’s been very good for us. And he’s made some tough catches, too.”

Cory Watson, another veteran Bombers slotback who has played alongside Denmark as the latter has evolved from a raw rookie in 2011 to one of the league’s top receivers this year, says Denmark’s secret this year has been quite simple — he gets open.

“The balls are coming his way a lot more than they used to,” Watson said after practice Wednesday. “He’s a dynamic receiver and he’s pretty fast. And we’re relying on him to make those big plays you need to win.

“And when we’ve thrown the ball in his direction, he’s made big catches for us.”

To their credit, the Bombers front office recognized early on this season what a special year Denmark was putting together and locked him down to a contract extension before he could get any ideas of flirting with free agency.

Denmark said the contract extension was sweet vindication for a guy out of a tiny college in Arkansas-Monticello who has always felt like he had something to prove.

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“I definitely have a little chip on my shoulder,” said Denmark. “And I’ve played through a lot of things — a lot of adversity and a lot of quarterbacks. And I still came out on top — I pride myself on doing that.”

The mention of playing with “a lot of quarterbacks” of course refers to the revolving door at that position that spun in this city for much of the three seasons prior to this one. But that door stopped spinning the moment Drew Willy was signed last winter as the club’s new No. 1 QB. Denmark didn’t hesitate when he was asked to account for the changes that led to this year’s career season.

“Drew Willy,” said Denmark. “You’ve got to give him credit. He’s been consistent and playing all year. And I think that’s a big part… Just like I always say, Drew’s a good guy — a good leader on and off the field. And he throws a catchable ball always. Just playing with that guy has been the difference this season.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek

CAREER YEAR

With two regular-season games still to play, fourth-year Winnipeg Blue Bombers slotback Clarence Denmark already has more receiving yards in 2014 than ever before. Here’s a look at Denmark’s production for the Bombers over the years: