Fresh start for Pierce

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/06/2010 (5952 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just for the record, on Buck Pierce’s first official day as a Winnipeg Blue Bomber he did not — repeat: DID NOT — connect on all his passes, wow everybody with his skill set or clearly establish himself as the franchise’s saviour.

And so we’re clear, he didn’t turn Gatorade into wine and didn’t heal the walking wounded with his touch, either.

What the Bombers’ top off-season recruit did do, however, is provide a sense that he fully understands his role with the franchise and what his addition represents for so many in this town: hope. And coming to grips with that responsibility is no small thing.

Oh sure there are concerns about his durability. Yes, there will be thousands who cringe every time he goes down in real action for fear he’ll be taken off the field on a gurney. And Pierce is completely cool with all that and the attention — good and bad — playing his position in a town suffering through a 20-year Grey Cup drought brings.

"I relish that," said Pierce after his first day of work at practice. "Look… we’ve got fans in the stands for rookie camp. That’s something new for me. That’s exciting. It’s a new organization and it’s a new experience from everything we do daily on the field and in the classroom. It seems like there’s more optimism here than anywhere else in the league.

"This city IS the CFL to me. This is the 80th year of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I’d say it’s a pretty fair bet most people in this town go to games religiously or follow the team closely. And to have my name as part of all that excitement… well, that’s exciting for me. When they signed me they knew what they were getting. They were getting a guy who was going to play as hard as anybody who has played this position and will put the time in necessary to be successful."

That’s the thing about Pierce: he likely won’t blow anybody away in a practice session, but when they put the ball on the tee on game day, he gets it done. He was 21-12-1 as a starter with the B.C. Lions over parts of five seasons and showed an ability to grind out wins while being held together with duct tape and binding twine.

But the Lions had a decision to make this winter after the return of Casey Printers last year and Pierce, with a hefty contract in the $300,000 range and arguably just as many X-rays and MRIs as TD passes, was deemed expendable.

And that’s what made stepping onto the field in new colours such an important day for Pierce: he’s found a football home again and he couldn’t be more content.

"To say that the last six months hasn’t been hard on me would be a lie," he said. "It’s been very hard to try and stay positive through a lot of things. But I continued to work and today I was able to put a new jersey on and come out here and play and compete. And that’s exciting. Being out here, this is fun, this is great.

"I like the blue and gold, I think it fits."

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

BLUE CREW

 

#4 BUCK PIERCE

 

Height: 6-1. Weight: 215. College: New Mexico State

Years in CFL: 7.

Acquired: signed as a free agent, April 12, 2010.

Strengths: A winner… Accurate with a CFL career completion percentage of 65.2 and a TD-to-interception-ratio of 48-31.

Weaknesses: Can’t stay healthy… Must learn to protect when he takes off and invites hellacious hits by hanging onto the ball too long when pocket collapses.

Head coach’s take: "Quick release. Strong arm. Good accuracy. He’s a competitor and he’s played a lot of football games."

 

 

#3 STEVEN JYLES

 

Height: 6-0. Weight: 195. College: Louisiana at Monroe

Years in CFL: 5.

Acquired: signed as a free agent, Feb. 23, 2010.

Strengths: Coaches in Edmonton, Saskatchewan and now Winnipeg have always been enamoured with his physical tools. Good arm, looks comfy running outside of pocket.

Weaknesses: Has thrown only 152 passes in four CFL seasons… Hasn’t really pushed those ahead of him on depth chart.

Head coach’s take: "Very strong arm, very mobile, very intelligent and understands the game."

 

 

#1 ADAM DIMICHELE

 

Height: 6.01; Weight: 202. College: Temple.

Years in CFL: 2.

Acquired: Re-signed with the Bombers on Feb. 19 after joining club last September from Calgary.

Strengths: Doesn’t often make bad reads and delivers strikes… Got a competitive edge to him that coach’s crave.

Weaknesses: Just green… Lacks any significant playing time in CFL.

Coach’s take: "Athletic. Good arm strength. Locates the ball well. He knows where he wants to go with the football. He makes quick decisions and the ball comes out."

 

 

#7 ALEX BRINK

 

Height: 6.02; Weight: 208. College: Washington State.

Years in CFL: 0.

Acquired: Bombers traded with Hamilton for his rights on May 2 and signed him on May 11, 2010.

Strengths: Great college numbers at Washington State… Has better mobility than some think… No prima donna type; wants to be here.

Weaknesses: No experience at all with the Canadian game… Super statistics in college, but the Cougars didn’t win much during his time there.

Head coach’s take: "An accurate thrower. Strong arm. I thought he put the ball into some tight spaces today."