PIVOTAL decision

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/04/2011 (5266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We begin with an update, the kind of news that will dominate during the next eight months of football season:

A leaner, stronger and driven Buck Pierce looked like an ace pitcher on the first day of Blue Bomber mini-camp, drilling fastballs to receivers and enthusiastically moving around like a guy scratching days off the calendar until the 2011 CFL season opener.

Not surprisingly, his recovery from the elbow injury that threatened his career left the 200 fans gathered at the Winnipeg Indoor Soccer Complex — and the coaching staff — positively giddy at the prospects of what could be if the club’s No. 1 quarterback can stay healthy.

“He’s throwing tremendously,” began head coach Paul LaPolice. “Locating the football, accuracy, speed, anticipating… very well.”

Like it or not, that will be the predominant storyline that follows this franchise from here until November. Pierce knows it. Bomber management knows it. But they’re both also committed to taking that risk — team hitches wagon to gifted but injury-cursed pivot — based on potential and the enormous upside the relationship could bring.

“This organization has all the confidence in the world in me and I’m excited about that,” said Pierce. “It’s not just confidence, it’s a lot of faith. That’s all you ask for as an athlete. And honestly, that’s very, very rare in this business.

“Now I’m ready to go out there and live up to my side of the bargain. I’m a competitor. I’m going to do everything I can when I go out there to win.”

That much is a given with Pierce. His competitive drive has never been questioned. But when the Bombers opted to trade Steven Jyles — their safety net from a year ago — to a divisional rival in the Toronto Argonauts, eyebrows were raised across the CFL not just because of the risk involved, but because so little is known about the man who has quietly moved into second spot on the club’s QB depth chart.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to reintroduce you to Joey Elliott, the former Purdue starter who arrived last July and was thrust into the starter’s role for the final two games of the regular season when the three men ahead of him — Pierce, Jyles and Alex Brink — all dropped with an injury.

And here’s a snippet of why the Bombers are so enamoured with the 24-year-old, above and beyond what’s in his physical tool box…

Rewind to the last game of 2010, Bombers vs. Calgary, when Elliott stepped into the huddle with the offence at the Stamps’ 20-yard line. Despite being new to the game, despite missing training camp and learning just from snippets in the film room and the odd rep at practice, Elliott turned to receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris and confidently said:

“They’re coming zero (blitz). I guarantee you. Run your adjustment to the route.”

Lo and behold the Stamps do blitz, Elliott hits Jeffers-Harris for a completion and — ta-da! — the Bombers had essentially seen enough to be convinced they could move Jyles and turn to this CFL neophyte if Pierce can’t stay healthy again.

“It’s about how you address pressure,” Elliott said with a shrug Monday. “Myself, I have fun. Playing football and winning… that’s the best way to take the pressure off and maybe everybody feeds off that.

“I understand it’s a job. I know I have to show up every day and know my material because I’m a professional. But there’s also a time and place where you’re supposed to have a good time.”

And so while eyes were fixated on Pierce during Day 1 of mini-camp it could be argued it’s the development of Elliott into a player the Bombers can trust — and win with — that is as critical as the ace’s return from injury.

But with all that the expectations also change for Elliott. Yes, in the crazy world of pro football a guy with all of two starts and 73 pass attempts under his belt is now considered a vet.

“What changes for me now? Hopefully the reps,” said Elliott with a grin. “Last year I was starting from scratch. When I first got here I had forgotten there were more people on the field up here and (offensive co-ordinator) coach Barresi had to take me out and show me that the field was bigger. That’s why those two games last year were big for me.

“Hey, I’ll just try to stay grounded, try to improve and justify the team’s faith in me. Buck Pierce is the guy running the show here. Our job is to try and learn as much as possible from him. And I’m good with that.”

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

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