No going halfway in halfback battle

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This article was published 01/06/2016 (3395 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The anatomy of a positional battle at training camp with a potential starting gig on the line may be less intense than you think at first glance.

Of course, there is also certain level of hostility, commonplace among a group of men duking it out for a couple coveted jobs.

But in a team game, team comes first.

Perhaps the most interesting jostle at Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp lies in the team’s secondary at the boundary (weak side) halfback spot. Vacated by Demond Washington, who is now a member of the Hamilton Tiger Cats via free agency, Kevin Fogg and Julian Posey have emerged as heirs to Washington’s former throne through four days of training camp.

Fans might remember Posey, who played in the Bombers final regular season game in 2015, recording eight tackles in the game. To him, the battle means helping his fellow man out.

“Most importantly, you want to make sure you’re helping each other so you can put your best foot forward each day,” Posey said after another wet practice on Wednesday. “The competition always lies within the opponent. We have to execute as a defence, as a unit.”

Fogg agrees with Posey about the team concept being priority No. 1, and said as soon as he starts seeing it as a battle, the tendency to go against his teammates begins to set in.

“I try to be peaceful out there, have fun with it and also try to have that camaraderie you’re supposed to have with your teammates,” he said.

Fogg entered the Bombers’ fray as a rookie with an invite to their rookie camp after bouncing around the NFL, most recently with the Pittsburgh Steelers. If he’s had a disadvantage to his contemporary, it’s been the extra time taken to pick up on the nuances of the Canadian game. His rookie status can also play on his mind.

“You know that there’s guys here that are already established, who have been here for a long time. Of course, there’s that mindset that you’re competing against another person, but at the same time, if you figure out all that you have to do, sometimes you fall into the right place. That’s truly what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to be a team player, honestly,” he said.

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said that, ideally, every guy is coming into training camp with the mindset they are battling for their jobs.

“The incumbent starter, the all-star incumbent, whoever those guys are — Drew Willy, Andrew Harris — all these guys, you want them to come in with the idea that they’re battling for their job every single practice. That’s how they are going to get better. That’s how they go from good players to great players. That’s how they’re going to make the plays that win us games,” he said.

“I believe everybody coming to training camp understands that they are working hard on a play-by-play basis to prove something to the coaches and the scouts and the GM as to why they should be on the team and be a starter in Game 1. To me, that’s the ideal thought these pro athletes should have.

“When you’re rolling two or three guys through a position, I guess they figure out very quickly that they have to do something that sets them apart from the other guy.”

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Posey isn’t checking over his shoulder. He’s been around the game long enough to know worrying won’t get himself any further along in the game of football.

“I’m an older guy who has been doing this for a long time. I understand what’s going on. For me, there’s no time to worry. I’m always going to be here helping my teammates, making sure we’re all a unit, making plays more than anything,” he said.

Fogg, meanwhile, admitted his ride as professional football player has been emotional. He’s just happy to be back on the field competing.

“That’s what I love to do,” he said. “As a man, you don’t want to show any type of weakness. It’s been a challenge for me, but I like that. I like being challenged. What I can’t do is let the competitive environment get to me because it can. This is an hostile environment.”

Twitter @ScottBilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

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