Doggett still on Big Blue’s radar screen Joltin’ Joe back in the middle

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/06/2010 (5641 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Good news, Winnipeg Blue Bombers fans: Joe Lobendahn looks rested and ready to go.

"The legs feel great," the middle linebacker said. "I didn’t do too much in the off-season, just a lot of hanging out with family and relaxing at home (in Hawaii), and that’s how I wanted it. The season is long so when you have a chance to rest up you better take advantage of it.

"I want to stay on the field as much as possible this year. I wasn’t happy with 2009."

In a big picture sense, Lobendahn speaks to a disappointing Bombers club that finished 7-11 in the standings and out of the playoff picture. Specifically pertaining to him, though, the former University of Washington standout would like to forget a 2009 campaign which saw him miss seven games due to shoulder and hamstring injuries coming from making (or trying to make) a play.

The shoulder was a result of a big hit in Week 1 which caused an Edmonton fumble and a touchdown for the Bombers. Later in the season, he blew out a hamstring chasing down a B.C. receiver.

It’s a familiar song for Bombers fans.

When he’s in the middle of the linebacking corps for the Bombers, the 27-year-old is a force. He’s among the best in the CFL at chasing down guys and filling in holes. The question going into this season for Lobendahn is this: Can he remain healthy to be that defensive difference?

"It’s not even a worry with me," said Lobendahn, who will line up between Ike Charlton and rookie Marcellus Bowman when the Bombers take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Canad Inns Stadium on Friday. "I play this game a certain way, and I like to hit people. I’m not going to change the way I approach things on the field."

His words are sure, but it shows the delicate, or even dangerous, balance some players have regarding their health and productivity on the field. Coaches can’t tell a guy to ease up on a tackle or not go full-on between the lines — not when that player has made it this far by playing at one speed.

No one is going to ask quarterback Buck Pierce, whose list of injuries is well documented, to lay down when scrambling for a first down. No one is going to ask Mike Renaud to stop tracking the punts he just made — despite blowing his knee out and cutting his season short last fall.

"I don’t think you can ask a player to do that," Lobendahn added.

Lobendahn and the Bombers enjoy another off-day today. On-field preparations for the Tiger-Cats continue Monday.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca

Lurking on the linebacker horizon is Derrick Doggett.

The one-time Bomber was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers last week and was thought to be headed back to Winnipeg once he cleared NFL waivers. Those waivers have come and gone, but according to the Bombers, a signing is not imminent.

"We haven’t spoken to him yet," Bombers general manager Joe Mack said after practice Saturday.

Doggett, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound menace who made some big noise in his brief time in Winnipeg last year, would be a nice addition to the linebacking landscape but right now, the club seems content to see what they have before bringing in other bodies.

"We just kind of have to see how it evolves," Mack added. "It’s kind of tough for him. To be released so late when we’re already going into the first game is kind of a tough thing."

— Wazny