Blue refute claims they’re rushing Willy back

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This article was published 08/07/2015 (4079 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE Winnipeg Blue Bombers and quarterback Drew Willy dismissed a published report quoting a Toronto neurologist saying the CFL club is jeopardizing Willy’s health by allowing him to return to practice so quickly after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in a July 2 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

“I’ve got complete faith in our medical staff. Absolutely,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said Wednesday in response to allegations made by Dr. Charles Tator published in the Winnipeg Sun.

“It’s yesterday’s news and we’ve moved on.”

Willy was similarly dismissive, noting that unlike Tator, the club’s medical staff has actually examined him, spoken to him and overseen his return to the practice field this week.

“I’ve got complete faith in the medical staff here. They’ve always been good to me — the doctors and all the athletic trainers,” said Willy.

“I have complete faith in them. We went through all the proper (protocols) and I feel good out here.”

Willy was examined at Investors Group Field immediately after the hit by team physician Dr. Peter MacDonald.

MacDonald is regarded as one of the premier experts in sports medicine in Western Canada and is also the head physician for the Winnipeg Jets. He is a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He is also the chief research and innovations officer at the Pan Am Clinic.

MacDonald was joined by at least two other doctors and longtime Bombers trainer Al Couture in treating Willy and then supervising his return to the field this week.

Tator, who founded the Canadian Sports Concussion Project, told the Sun the Bombers are on “thin ice” for allowing Willy to return to the practice field just four days after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Hamilton defender Adrian Tracy.

The Bombers and Willy both said he passed all concussion protocols in the Bombers’ locker-room immediately after he left the game. Sources said the QB lobbied hard to return to the game. Team sources say the team’s medical staff decided not to allow Willy to return out of an abundance of caution.

Tator told the Sun Willy shouldn’t have been allowed to return to practice for at least six days. Willy returned after four days, but his first day back was at half-speed as the Bombers installed their offence for this week.

Willy reported he felt fine afterwards and the pace of practice has picked up in the last two days.

Willy has not taken a hit this week — Winnipeg quarterbacks never do during practice — and he hasn’t exerted himself much beyond a light jog and taking his standard first-team reps.

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Willy will have what amounts to a day off today — the Bombers hold only a light walk-through practice on the day before games.

The Bombers say Willy will start Friday night against the Montreal Alouettes, which would be eight days after he took the hit from Tracy.

Tator is a named defendant in a lawsuit filed by former CFL receiver Arland Bruce, who is the first CFL player to file suit over how the league has handled concussions to players. Tator and the CFL have denied any wrongdoing.

The Bombers staged their final full practice Wednesday in advance of hosting the Alouettes Friday night.

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