Rush ends settle on speedy nicknames

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This article was published 18/06/2010 (5650 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ODELL WILLIS figures the names fit absolutely perfectly, thank you very much. And the gregarious Winnipeg Blue Bomber defensive end has even gone so far as to test-run the nicknames in the meeting room and, to date, has not been mocked incessantly.

And so from this day forward let it be known here and across the Canadian Football League that Willis and fellow rush end Phillip Hunt will be known as…

"Ferrari and Lambo," began Willis with his now-trademark grin. "He’s the Ferrari, I’m the Lambo (short for Lamborghini). Think about it: It’s the speed. It’s the motor that never stops running. That’s us.

"It’s going to be fun this year, man. You’ve got a Ferrari and a Lambo on the ends and then you’ve got those 4x4s (defensive tackles) in the middle… whatcha going to do? Pick your poison. And then we’ve got the back end… throw it there if you want to because we’ll be glad to take it the other way."

"You know," added Hunt, "at first I didn’t know what he was talking about. We’d be watching film in the meetings and he’d always be saying, ‘There goes the Lambo… there goes the Ferrari.’ But then he put it out there for me plain and simple: I’m the Ferrari and he’s the Lambo.

"I like it. It’s creative. But we’ve got a lot to live up to, those are killer cars right there."

Now before we continue, know this about Willis, the genius behind the moniker: There’s a bit of brashness here, to be sure, but it’s more about the man’s basic approach to life than some attempt to draw attention. That always-upbeat approach was instantly evident upon his arrival from the Calgary Stampeders in last September’s blockbuster Romby Bryant/Arjei Franklin trade and was then further fuelled this spring.

"Before training camp started my grandmother died and that’s like the first time I’ve had somebody that close to me pass," Willis explained. "It just gave me a new outlook on life. Appreciate what’s out here, appreciate the opportunity you get. And then (former Bomber) Gavin Walls got hurt and we were tight. He told me, ‘Appreciate everything because you never know if your next play could be your last play.’

"It ain’t just about football. Every day is a gift. You should be out here happy that you’re living, breathing, doing what you love. Any day that you wake up is a great day. Plus, we’ve got a lot of young guys and I don’t want them to be uptight. I’d like to have them look at me and at least smile for 10 seconds and then go back to business."

Hunt, the Ferrari, has just signed a new contract with the Bombers, though the extension hasn’t been announced yet. Not bad for a guy who arrived last September after being released by the Cleveland Browns and managed three sacks in seven games as a platoon player.

"I’ll tell you what, it feels pretty good seeing my name first on the depth chart," said Hunt. "I’m comfortable with the team. I know my role. Now I can just go out and do everything fast. To have the respect of the organization to have them sign me to a new contract and for them to have faith in me and make me their No. 1 guy, that says a lot.

"Odell and me, we’re young guys. We’ve got a lot to learn and we’re just trying to get better every day. We’re out here having fun and with our speed on the edges, we can create a lot of havoc.

"I’m loving this job and I’m proud to be a Bomber."

ed.tait@freepress.mb