‘I believe I’m the best’: Medlock

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This article was published 18/02/2016 (3521 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No one can pin the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ disastrous 2015 campaign on any one man. After all, there was more than enough blame to go around in the wake of a 5-13 nightmare.

But when the Bomber brain trust sifted through the wreckage of last season, they identified a few key areas of need, including finding receivers who could actually get open, upgrading the Canadian content — as always — and landing a kicker who consistently put the ball between the uprights.

So it should have come as no surprise that when the cash register stopping ringing in Winnipeg after last week’s spending spree by the Bombers, arguably their biggest addition was signing veteran hoofer Justin Medlock, the CFL’s all-time leader in field-goal accuracy at 87.5 per cent.

Bombers GM Kyle Walters called the Medlock signing “a massive addition” and here’s why: a year ago placekickers Lirim Hajrullahu — who has signed with the Toronto Argonauts — and Sergio Castillo combined to hit just 70.3 per cent of their attempts and also missed seven converts. Those misses were particularly critical in one-point losses to Calgary and Edmonton and impacted two other games decided by a touchdown or less.

Enter Medlock, who has missed just 17 of 152 attempts over the last three years in Hamilton and was 14 of 18 last year from distances of 40 yards and out. Hajrullahu and Castillo were a combined 11 of 22 from that range.

“This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business and I understand that,” said Medlock from his off-season home in Jupiter, Fla., this week. “That’s why I push myself to be the best and I believe I am the best. You’ve got to continue pushing for that excellence.”

Medlock, now 32, said he did contemplate walking away from the game at the end of the 2015 CFL season. But he has a connection with Bombers long-snapper Chad Rempel — the two worked together in Toronto and then trained in the off-season when Rempel landed a tryout with the Chicago Bears — and the club made it worthwhile financially for him to leave the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, his team for the last three years.

“(The Bombers) were a team I was eyeing before free agency,” said Medlock.

“Leaving Hamilton was hard. In 2014 I considered a couple of offers and I picked Hamilton because I thought that was the closest team to winning a Grey Cup. I enjoyed my time there, I believe in a lot of the philosophies they teach and I enjoyed playing for Kent Austin. But I had to make a decision about going forward.

“What happened with the Bombers was mutual: I wanted to be there and they wanted me. I thought about retiring but decided to keep going to get another chance to make those game-winning field goals and help a team win.”

A California product who was a consensus All-American at UCLA, Medlock was selected in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and has also had tryouts with St. Louis, Washington, Detroit, Carolina and Oakland. But he’s 32 now and has given up the ghost of chasing the NFL dream.

“Back in 2011-2012 I was trying to get back to the NFL,” he said. “This year I wasn’t as into it as much. I know what it takes to get down here… it’s a tough gig to crack and I’m a little older now. I know I can kick with those guys and know I am good enough to kick there, that’s not the question.”

An adept placekicker, Medlock’s punting numbers are better than you might think. He averaged 40.3 yards last season as Hamilton also gave Hugh O’Neill a shot at the gig, but 13 of his 66 punts were placed inside the 20-yard line, including seven inside the 10.

And, just so everyone is perfectly clear, confidence is not an issue with this guy.

“It’s going to be a totally different environment in a completely different stadium,” Medlock said. “But I expect to do all three (field goals, kickoffs and punts) and I expect to be good at it, too.”

 

NOTES: The purge of veteran talent continues for the Blue Bombers.

The club announced Thursday it has released running back Paris Cotton and defensive end Greg Peach, one day after cutting defensive tackle Zach Anderson.

All three moves are likely tied to the salary cap and a direct result of the team’s recent splurge in free agency.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait