Shelton shaky in Blue debut

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This article was published 21/06/2010 (5647 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON — It wasn’t, to be blunt, the best way for Travis Shelton to make a good first impression.

In fact, it was more like watching a guy take to the stage, forget all his lines and then throw up all over himself.

That said, know this about the Winnipeg Blue Bomber receiver/returner: when his nightmarish day was over he stepped outside of the team’s locker-room to face the media like a true pro.

“It was bittersweet,” began Shelton. “I needed to get back into it, but it was a kinda ugly learning process.”

Shelton, who came to the Bombers with superb return credentials from his days at Temple University but was limited in camp with a hamstring pull, struggled in his debut and finished with four punt returns for minus-9 yards and had one return bounce by him — ruled a fumble, although he swears he didn’t touch the ball — before a Ticat gobbled it up and took it to the end zone for a TD.

“No, I didn’t touch it,” he said. “And what killed me is when it bounced I slipped and I went to catch myself and it bounced this way and they just let it go. And then they didn’t show a replay. I was hoping they’d show it.”

Now the question for the Bombers is whether to keep Shelton around for further evaluation or hand the return duties back to Jovon Johnson, who was so spectacular last season.

“The hard thing for him is the wind was with him but then they were shanking the punt,” said head coach Paul LaPolice.

“So he was backing up and then they shank the punt… the punts were really inconsistent today and for him to have this be his first time having a go at it, that can be a tough thing. We’ll evaluate him.”

“They just told me to keep working, that I did some good things out there in terms of making good decisions and letting the ball go and catching the ball,” added Shelton.

OUCH REPORT: The Bombers lost long-snapping specialist Chris Cvetkovic in the first half with what is being called a minor knee injury. Canadian O-lineman Adam Bestard stepped in and handled the chores perfectly.

As well, receiver Aaron Hargreaves had his bell run and his helmet ripped off his head in the first quarter and did not return.

THE COACH SAYS: LaPolice is often cautious about heaping praise on newcomers and, as he has said many times in camp, does not want to be an ‘early evaluator.’

Here’s what he said about receiver Terence Jeffers-Harris: “He had a nice catch up the sideline, but did he block anybody? Don’t throw him into the hall of fame just yet. He made some good plays. He’s got raw talent and abilities and it was great to see him go up the sidelines.”

D-DAY LOOMS: The Bombers flew back to Winnipeg Sunday night, have meetings today and return to practice at Rods’ Field on Tuesday.

All CFL teams must reduce their rosters by Thursday and LaPolice said the club may begin whittling that number down before the league’s deadline.

ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Blue Bombers 20 at Tiger-Cats 38

First Quarter

Ham — FG DeAngelis 33 6:28

Second Quarter

Ham — FG DeAngelis 24 0:44

Ham — TD McDaniel 26 pass from Glenn (DeAngelis convert) 7:00

Wpg — TD Jeffers-Harris 2 pass from Jyles (Serna convert) 9:51

Ham — TD Heyward 30 fumble return (DeAngelis convert) 10:48

Ham — TD Bruce 10 pass from Glenn (DeAngelis convert) 14:20

Wpg — FG Serna 9 14:53

Third Quarter

Wpg — FG Serna 35 5:15

Ham — Single DeAngelis 25 8:30

Wpg — TD Watson 8 pass from Brink (Serna convert) 12:11

Ham — FG DeAngelis 43 14:47

Fourth Quarter

Ham — TD James 56 pass from Porter (DeAngelis convert) 8:21

Winnipeg 0 10 10 0 — 20

Hamilton 3 24 4 7 — 38

Attendance — 19,645.