‘Rep hog’ Harris gets arm’s-length practice day

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This article was published 20/08/2019 (2213 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

What would be worse than losing your starting quarterback to injury?

How about losing your star running back in the same week?

There was a little bit of a scare at Winnipeg Blue Bombers practice on Tuesday afternoon, as running back Andrew Harris appeared to have injured his right arm.

Harris and the other running backs were near the sidelines taking turns holding up pads for one another as guys worked on their blocking technique. But after holding up the pad for a teammate, Harris left the drill and was seen holding his right arm in pain. He went straight to a trainer who felt Harris’s arm in a couple places before the running back returned to the field. However, Harris’s day was basically done after that, as he was a non-participant the rest of the way. Johnny Augustine took the reps with the first-team offence to close out the practice. To add to the injury speculation, toward the end of practice, everybody went down to do some pushups while Harris opted to do sit-ups. Harris was not made available to speak to the media afterward.

But before Bombers fans search for the nearest panic button, head coach Mike O’Shea downplayed the situation after practice.

“He’s fine,” O’Shea said. “Just give somebody else a chance to get the reps. He’s been a rep hog when he’s out here, so give him a chance to have a day. I don’t think it made him too happy, but he’s fine.”

O’Shea also spoke about American defensive end Alex McCalister, who the club signed Tuesday morning. McCalister played three seasons for the Florida Gators before he was selected in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. McCalister spent training camp with the Blue and Gold this season, but was one of the final cuts.

“Well, we thought he was really close to making (the team),” O’Shea said. “Look at his physical stature, he’s kind of built like Willie (Jefferson). He’s long, he’s athletic, young guy. I thought he fit, personality-wise, I thought he fit into the group real well. So, it’s nice to have him back. We’ll see where that all fits because we like what Thiadric Hansen is doing, too. But we need to make sure we always keep guys around.”

McCalister recently played two games in the Arena Football League for the Columbus Destroyers and had a workout with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. But outside of that, the 25-year-old has been keeping busy back home in Florida working as a furniture mover.

“Twelve-hour days,” McCalister said about his gig as a mover. “It’s all good, though. It kept me in shape. I wasn’t winded at all today.”

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McCalister said he was joking in practice that he might be the first player to play football year-round due to him being in so many different places and leagues this year. But for now, McCalister might have an opportunity to show he belongs in the CFL, as the Bombers are currently missing Craig Roh and Jackson Jeffcoat on the defensive line. McCalister said it’s been nerve-racking, waiting by his phone for a call to come, but he’s excited to have another chance in Winnipeg.

“It’s a blessing. People kill to get an AFL opportunity and you know that’s just the Arena League. People kill to get this opportunity, people kill to get to the NFL and I’m still getting calls,” said McCalister, who had 121/2 sacks and two forced fumbles in 27 college games. “I’m blessed to just show my talent — getting to the quarterback.”

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.

Every piece of reporting Taylor 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.