Troy’s leg still working

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/10/2009 (5832 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For years, they could be seen hip to hip, laughing and talking along the sidelines at the stadium during both practice and games, so it was fitting that on the day Troy Westwood came back to his Blue Bombers, Bob Cameron was also on the scene.

Westwood took to the field in helmet and cleats with his trademark ponytail snaking down his back. The silver-maned Cameron sat in the stands with a smile on his face and watched his old friend take back a job they both believe should never have been lost.

Westwood, signed by the club as an emergency replacement for injured punter Mike Renaud, handled the punting in practice Tuesday and looked very competent in the role he held on and off during his 17-year stay as a kicker with the Bombers.

"It felt good. I wanted to punt better than that, but the leg feels good and I think it’ll improve each day," said the 42-year-old Westwood, who took a call from Bombers head coach Mike Kelly late Sunday night and was added to the team’s practice roster on Monday.

"There’s no question with regards to power. I just need to settle down and keep my emotions in check and do the job. I was nervous all day (Monday) and earlier (Tuesday), but then I got here and after five minutes, at first I felt like a stranger in a strange land and then it was like I was home. It was weird. I got in there with the fellas and it felt real good."

Westwood hit nine punts during the special-teams portion of practice, with a long of 54 yards and one shank that went just 26 yards . His unofficial average was 41.9 yards.

Westwood was cut in the pre-season of the 2008 campaign by then-head coach Doug Berry and their relationship was famously sour. Westwood took shots at the Berry administration and ran afoul of the club, but all appears to have been swept aside with the kicker’s return.

Cameron, arguably the greatest punter in CFL history, was impressed and thrilled with Westwood’s return.

"This is the best thing that could have happened. The main reason is I think he’ll do a heckuva job.

"What happened last year, and I’ve told everyone this and I would say it to Doug Berry’s face, was ridiculous. The way he treated Troy showed no class at all. This is a chance to right those wrongs," Cameron said.

"When a guy plays 17 years, he deserves more respect than Troy was shown at the end. I’m real impressed that Mike Kelly would step up and do this.

"I’m impressed with the way Troy kicked. He still has the leg. He hit some long kicks, and high. Troy’s forte is his kicking motion is compact. He can kick them high and turn them over, and a lot of guys can’t do this.

"I’ll be here Saturday. That’s why I’m here today. This is the first practice I’ve been to in two years. I’m here on purpose. I think he’s still got it."

The team did not have a No. 74 jersey ready on Tuesday, which is the number Westwood will wear, so he was forced to slip into No. 71, a number not officially retired but not in use since it was worn by Hall of Famer Joe Poplawski. Westwood’s old No. 7 is currently worn by third-string quarterback Ricky Santos.

"I’ve had to wear 71 in practice a few times and Joe Pop was my favourite player growing up," Westwood said. "I’ve always considered it an honour."

The Bombers host the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday and Kelly wouldn’t say for sure if Westwood will be in the lineup.

"It’s all part of our master plan. Now when we go two and out, our fans will cheer because Troy will be coming out to kick," Kelly said. "He’s still got strength behind his kick and he’ll be better tomorrow and the day after that. The strength is still there, the flexibility is still there and he got extension. Now it’s just a matter of the drop and the timing."

The Bombers added import running back Rafael Little to the practice roster on Tuesday. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound University of Kentucky product was recently released by the Tennessee Titans. Bombers running back Fred Reid was held out of practice due to a bruised hip and likely won’t work out until later in the week.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca