Jones to miss significant time due to injury

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This article was published 04/07/2018 (2623 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Derek Jones, one of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ captains on special teams, will have his streak of 75 consecutive games played come to an end this week.

Jones, who also serves as a backup defensive back, suffered an injury during Friday’s game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and will be put on the six-game injured list with a lower-body injury. Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said Jones will miss significant time, and was then asked if the Canadian special teamer’s season is likely over.

“I hate to say that,” O’Shea said. “But we’re definitely going to put him on the six-game for sure, and see if we have to put him on another six-game after that.”

O’Shea also spoke on the status of defensive back Brandon Alexander, who was scratched from Friday’s roster for rookie Marcus Sayles because of injury. O’Shea hinted at Alexander, the team’s most outstanding rookie in 2017, also missing Saturday’s game versus the B.C. Lions at Investors Group Field.

“I think he’s going to be out another week, maybe,” O’Shea said. “We’ll see, though. I always give them the benefit of the doubt and see what they can do on Day 3, even Day 4.”

Maurice Leggett made his first start of the 2018 season in the loss at Hamilton, as he filled in for an injured Anthony Gaitor at defensive halfback. It was Leggett’s first start at halfback, but despite playing a new position, Leggett wasn’t making any excuses and felt it wasn’t a strong performance by himself.

“I didn’t take the ball away, and that’s what I’m good at. If I don’t take the ball away or make any type of impact, I feel it’s a below-average game from me,” said Leggett, who registered five tackles against Hamilton.

O’Shea said Leggett has made a lot of progress these past couple weeks, and is very close to being in the “kind of shape he wants to be in.”

“He’s also in a new position, which takes some time getting used to. But yesterday he had a pretty darn good practice. We’ll see where that takes us,” O’Shea said.

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

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