Another O-lineman bites the dust;Bombers lose Hardrick for a couple of weeks

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This article was published 08/08/2016 (3673 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won consecutive games for the first time since 2014 last Wednesday, Now, if only they could go consecutive contests without losing a body or two…

The club heads to battle Friday against the Toronto Argonauts without another starting offensive lineman after it was announced that Jermarcus Hardrick would likely miss a couple of weeks due to upper body injury.

Hardrick joins Patrick Neufeld, who is expected to miss up to six weeks with an ankle injury, and Jeff Keeping, who went down in the pre-season with a knee injury and has been missing now for nine weeks.

It’s a big loss, for sure. Hardrick has played admirably since winning a top-hog job out of training camp. Besides his play, Hardrick has brought an undeniable enthusiasm to the club, his teammates and coaches say.

“You’ll see him put guys on his shoulder and running them out of the end zone and back to the huddle,” head coach Mike O’Shea said. “He’s a different character that way. He certainly brings a lot of energy, hyping guys up in practice.

“You see Jermarcus out there… hooting and hollering and making sure his presence is still felt. That’s a real challenge for guys. When they get hurt, they kind of decide on their own that they’re taking a back seat in terms of leadership. It shouldn’t be that way. I think we have the right guys that even if they’re not playing, they’re stepping up and still contributing.”

It’s likely that practice roster body Manase Foketi will be activated to the 46-man roster to slot in for Hardrick, O’Shea said.

“We’re expecting him to step right in,” O’Shea said. “He’s been here with us through camp. He’s a very athletic football player. Quiet, but he knows what he’s doing. He’s been very patient. We’ve been very fortunate with the depth on the O-line from the get–go. We’ve managed to make some changes out of necessity without missing a beat and we expect the same thing.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @scottbilleck

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

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