Knee hobbles sack king Walls

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/10/2009 (5842 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nothing is official yet, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers may be without the steady presence of Gavin Walls on their defensive line for a long stretch.

One of the most unappreciated players in Bombers history, Walls — third on the team’s all-time quarterback sack list with 47 — has missed the last two days of practice due to a knee injury suffered in last Friday’s win over the Edmonton Eskimos. Whispers are now circulating the injury is severe enough that the 29-year-old Arkansas product could be lost for the remainder of the season.

"We’re just being precautionary right now and evaluating that knee and seeing what we want to do with it," head coach Mike Kelly said. "He comes in and gets treatment and there’s no sense putting him out there where it’s cold and stiffening up on him."

All this means the Bombers will likely go into Monday’s critical matchup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with two players who weren’t even on their radar screen a month ago. Odell Willis was acquired by the team in the trade that sent Romby Bryant and Arjei Franklin to Calgary, and Phillip Hunt was signed on Sept. 16.

"They’re strikers," Kelly said of Willis and Hunt. "I put them in the same category as Siddeeq (Shabazz) and Joe Lobendahn. They can generate speed in a very confined space and they give those big offensive tackles problems because they come so fast with very good agility and they can change direction. And when it comes time to strike the ball carrier, it’s cobra-like.

"I give a lot of credit to (director of player personnel) John Murphy. I know there’s been lots of jokes about the database, but the database is serving us pretty well right now. We have a lot of good, young football players. Look how young this football team is and we’ve got guys out there performing pretty well for their lack of experience at this point. But they bring an enthusiasm and a want-to that’s hard to measure."

For Hunt, the 23-year-old former University of Houston star who had a tryout this summer with the Cleveland Browns, his days in Winnipeg have been a bit like being a stranger in a strange land. But he’s eagerly gobbling up every nanonsecond.

"I was just at home babysitting and watching TV when the call came from the Bombers," Hunt said. "All I knew about Winnipeg was it was cold and now I’m right in the middle of it.

"It’s been a huge learning experience. The yard off the ball has been a real change-up for me, but I like it. It’s real competitive. You’ve got to have your motor running at all times and be ready, because the ball is flying.

Coach (Richard) Harris and Gavin have really helped me out a lot to make the transition. I’ve watched a lot of Gavin on film and I’m just trying to imitate his game a little bit.

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"What I like most about being here," Hunt added, "is this team and just being back in football, period.

"The camaraderie here is unbelievable. And it’s unique, because despite all of the negativity you see in the media and from the outside, on the inside we all really stick together."

BLUE NOTES: OL Lorne Plante has left the team to take a job in Victoria, but is on an emergency recall with the Bombers. That said, the team is looking for more O-line depth, preferably a Canadian. Kelly ruled out a return of veteran Kelly Bates, indicating he wanted to find a younger prospect… SB Terrence Edwards not only suffered a concussion a couple weeks back, he had his house and truck in Georgia broken into and two flat-screen TVs and two SEC championship rings from his days with the Bulldogs lifted. "I’ll get most of the stuff back through insurance and should be able to get new rings from Georgia," he said.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca