Euclid likes to play with emotion

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This article was published 18/02/2016 (3522 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s right there on the game film. Euclid Cummings gets after it on every snap and when he arrives at the ball carrier — be it an unsuspecting quarterback or running back — he swallows them up in a nanosecond.

And then comes an explosion of emotional fury.

“I play with emotion, but not so much that it gets the best of me,” said Cummings, one of the newest members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, in a phone interview from Atlanta. “Bomber fans will see an intense player who likes to get after the quarterback, who likes to be in the backfield and likes to have fun playing the game more than anything. I’ll give my fullest on every play.

“When you work so hard in the offseason and in practice, when you get those rewards on game day… man, that feeling is something you can’t put into words. That’s why I let it all out.”

The Bombers are hoping to see a ton of that letting out this coming season. Cummings is part of a defensive tackle makeover that has seen the addition of Canadian veteran Keith Shologan — also brought aboard in free agency — and prompted Wednesday’s release of Zach Anderson, who spent the last three years in Winnipeg.

Bomber tackles combined for just six sacks last year — Bryant Turner Jr. had four, with one each from Jake Thomas and Nate Collins — and while bringing down the QB isn’t the primary responsibility for interior linemen, some push sure as heck doesn’t hurt. Winnipeg also surrendered 112.8 yards rushing per game, third worst in the league.

Worth noting here: Shologan had a career-high seven QB sacks last season while Cummings, playing in his first year in the CFL, finished with eight.

Cummings was quietly one of the names near the top of the Bombers wish list and when he couldn’t get the financial numbers to work on a possible return to Toronto, he looked west to Winnipeg — but not without doing some leg work of his own. Cummings was in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp in 2014 with current Bomber offensive tackle Jace Daniels, who helped provide some recon to get answers to some pressing questions.

“When I made the decision it wasn’t all about the money,” said Cummings. “I wanted to know what kind of city it is, what the fan support is, the cost of living. And when I made my decision, Winnipeg made sense. I talked to the coaching staff and some of the players on the team and I could just tell it would be a nice organization to sign with. I’m happy with my decision.

“Plus, I watched film and how the D-line worked last year and saw that Jamal Westerman led the league in sacks. As a D-lineman, that’s something you definitely gravitate to.”

Interestingly, it was less than two years ago — following his release by the Bucs — when Cummings found himself at a bit of a football crossroads. It was October of 2014 and the phone wasn’t ringing. That’s when his agent told him of the Argos’ interest.

Adventure

And so a guy born and raised in Atlanta, who attended Georgia Tech in the same town, was ready for an adventure north. That decision, it turns out, has reinvigorated him.

“I was waiting around waiting for NFL teams to call me back and I didn’t like waiting around and being told ‘No’, but in a nice way,” said Cummings with a chuckle. “I went up there to get film (to get another NFL shot) but once I got there I fell in love with Canada and loved the decision I made to come to the CFL. It was such a good experience for me.

“This is one of the reasons I love football, because of the new experiences it’s given me. Without football I wouldn’t be able to play for Toronto and Winnipeg. I’m thankful for that.”

 

BLUE NOTES: The club announced Wednesday the signing of import offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick (6-6, 320, Nebraska) who started eight games for the Saskatchewan Roughriders last year and had 10 starts with the B.C. Lions in 2014.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @WFPEdTait