Logan back with a bang

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/06/2010 (5651 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Not being involved was starting to eat away at him, so it’s fitting the first play from scrimmage at Winnipeg Blue Bombers training camp Wednesday involved Ian Logan.

Just as he wanted it.

The starting safety, sidelined for all of camp with a neck injury, was back on the field Wednesday morning and he made his presence felt in a big way. Picture this: Quarterback Buck Pierce takes the snap and drops back to pass. Logan trusts his read and blasts up into the seam, cutting in front of the receiver and breaking up the pass. The resulting celebration by those defenders in the navy jerseys echoes throughout Canad Inns Stadium.

Welcome to training camp.

"I wish I would have caught it," Logan said. "It was a good start, though."

The Wilfrid Laurier product didn’t come up with the ball but he did accomplish something with that loud, head-turning defensive play: He’s back breaking things up again, a fact that pleased both the player and the team.

"It’s great to see another starter return," said head coach Paul LaPolice.

Logan’s neck injury came from trying to do too much physically in preparation for camp. Like most players, working out at the gym is standard procedure when looking ahead to the coming season but during Logan’s readying, he "pinched something" in his neck a few weeks before camp.

He didn’t think much of it at the time, so he continued to keep working out. Of course, that decision made things worse and suddenly Logan found himself in some real discomfort. The 27-year-old had a strained muscle in his neck and after failing his physical, he was placed on the disabled list with a non-football injury.

Ten days later, Logan is finally wearing a helmet and pads again.

"I didn’t think the injury would be a problem. I wasn’t worried about it," said Logan, who had four interceptions and 44 defensive tackles in 16 games with the Blue and Gold last season. "But the reason for the precaution is due to the nature of the sport, right? We were just making sure and not taking any chances. There was really no point for me to come out and do further damage.

"Anytime there’s a neck injury you have to be careful. You don’t want to risk anything," he added. "I’m back on the field now, and that’s all that matters."

The Bombers welcome Logan with open arms, what with a few questions left to be answered in the secondary. According to the coaches, backup safety Brady Browne has done a nice job filling in during his absence during camp and the lone pre-season game but Logan, now a fifth-year guy, is being counted on as a player who can provide some leadership on the back-end of the defence.

"Veteran presence and (he understands) just how people try to attack defences in the league," said LaPolice, listing off Logan’s key attributes. "It’s great to have that type of player. He just has to have reps in our system; he’s had mental reps but he just hasn’t been on the field.

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

The Warm-Up

Winnipeg Jets Game Days

On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.

Sign up for The Warm-Up

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"It’s a lot faster on the field than it is in the meeting rooms."

And that’s the next challenge for Logan as he looks towards the club’s final pre-season game in Hamilton on Sunday. If it were up to him, Logan would rather not have another 10-day break like this again.

"I was getting antsy on the sidelines, seeing everyone run around," he said. "It’s one thing to watch and mentally understand what’s going on, but you really have to be on the field to really feel a part of what’s going on."

The Bombers resume training camp workouts today, starting at 8:30 a.m.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca