Leggett’s stellar effort gets notice from CFL

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This article was published 12/07/2016 (3372 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Maurice Leggett was named as one of three CFL top performers in Week 3, the league announced Tuesday.

Leggett earned the honour — along with receivers Chris Williams of the Ottawa Redblacks and Adarius Bowman of the Edmonton Eskimos — after recording two interceptions (one he returned for a touchdown), a quarterback sack and five tackles in a 28-24 win over Hamilton last Thursday.

“It’s cool and I’m very honoured,” said Leggett after practice. “Just a big smile on my face — I’m lost for words.”

The performance marked Leggett’s second multi-interception game in his career, with the two last week bringing his total to eight in three years playing in the CFL.

Leggett picked off Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in the second quarter, taking the ball back 50 yards for the score, and again in the fourth.

On the second interception, Leggett got some lucky bounces with the ball deflected twice before it landed in his arms.

As much as Leggett appreciated the honour, he said the win — Winnipeg’s first this season, improving its record to 1-2 — was the ultimate reward.

“I just want to help my team win every week,” he said.

The Bombers will again need that playmaking ability this week as they face the defending Grey Cup champion Eskimos at Investors Group Field Thursday.

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Head coach Mike O’Shea wouldn’t confirm it, but if practice was any indication, C.J. Roberts should be getting his first start Thursday at corner for the Bombers. Roberts has been practising there all week, replacing Kevin Fogg, who has been moved to halfback to take over for an injured Bruce Johnson.

“Competitor,” “runs well,” “athletic” were the words defensive co-ordinator Richie Hall used to describe Roberts. He also used “green” and “inexperienced,” something he said he felt could come as a positive.

“Sometimes, you can be young and just don’t know better,” said Hall.

“You just got out there and play with confidence — football is football.”

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Asked what he thought he could bring to the Bombers secondary, Roberts said: “A fierce competitor who competes every down. I’m going to take every play like a championship play.”

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O’Shea was asked what he felt his team needed to do to make it tougher for opponents to play in Winnipeg. The Bombers are 0-1 at home this season and just 7-28 overall since moving into Investors Group Field for the start of the 2013 season.

“We have to do our part to get the crowd in it early, because what makes it a tough place to play in is our crowd,” said O’Shea. “How vocal they are, how noisy, how loud they are. So, we need to… sustain that type of effort that’s going to keep them involved the entire game.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.catwitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.