Chevon revving up to bust loose

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/09/2015 (3914 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So who is the real Chevon Walker?

Is he the electrifying player that tore through CFL defences and scored eight touchdowns — four on the ground and four through the air — in a sensational rookie debut with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2012? Or is he the player who languished in Ottawa the last 1� seasons, getting few reps and earning the worst kind of reputation possible for a tailback — that he couldn’t run effectively between tackles.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who signed Walker this week as a free agent, are obviously hoping he can recapture his former greatness — and Walker, who made his Bombers debut at practice Wednesday, says they won’t be disappointed.

“You can’t believe everything you hear,” Walker told reporters Wednesday. “If you look at the stats, the numbers talk for themselves. I ain’t going to go in the past. Whatever happened in Ottawa, it’s done with. Everyone has their critics and you just have to keep rolling with it.

“You’ll always have guys that go against you and guys that go with you. Whatever negativity there is, let it motivate you. And right now I feel like there’s a lot of negativity about Chevon — Chevon can’t do this and Chevon can’t do that.

“But I just know once I get the ball I’m going to do what I do and that’s make plays.”

Walker got a lot of reps at practice and said the team has a couple of packages in the offence this week for him.

“I feel like it’s all about opportunity. If I get an opportunity and get the ball in my hands, I know I’m going to do what I do best and make plays. I think Ottawa wasn’t giving me enough opportunity. And it plays like that sometimes.”

Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea was non-commital about the prospect of Walker playing Sunday in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but it sounded as if he thinks Walker could be an important figure in the club’s desire to finally get some traction with their running game.

“We’ll have to see how quickly he picks up the playbook. He’s got a lot of speed. The thing about Chevy is he can be north-south in a hurry. Any time you can add that kind of dynamic player and that kind of speed to your roster, it’s important.”

Meanwhile, import wide receiver Darvin Adams — who was Winnipeg’s most potent offensive threat until he was injured in a loss in Hamilton Aug. 9 — returned to the practice field Wednesday and appears good to go for Sunday.

‘And right now I feel like there’s a lot of negativity about Chevon — Chevon can’t do this and Chevon can’t do that. But I just know once I get the ball I’m going to do what I do and that’s make plays’

— Chevon Walker

Adams was asked if he can quickly pick up this week where he left off.

“I was a little winded out there, first day back, and the guys were picking me up,” said Adams. “But I feel good. Even when I was out, I was still working out and catching the ball every day.

“It feels good to be back.”

NOTED: Receiver Justin Veltung was sick and missed practice, while defensive tackle Bryant Turner also skipped practice with an undisclosed injury that O’Shea described as “short-term.”… Centre Dominic Picard, who missed Saturday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders with an undisclosed injury, was practising and taking first-team reps… The CFL announced Wednesday that Bombers defensive end Jamaal Westerman was fined an undisclosed amount for unsportsmanlike conduct in the loss against the Stampeders.

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