He’s stronger, going longer

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This article was published 15/07/2010 (5865 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

2Those words come from the mouth of Winnipeg Blue Bombers punter Mike Renaud, but the cliché value of that sentence isn’t just exclusive to football. Many athletes, or professionals in any field, whether it be a lawyer, an accountant or a plumber, aspire to improve their job performance from the previous year. There’s nothing special about that. Words to live by, in fact.

Renaud’s case, though, is a little unique.

Go back to Thanksgiving 2009. The Canadian punter blows out the ACL in his kicking leg trying to chase down a ball he just delivered to the Hamilton side. It was a play he’s tried to make throughout his football career.

Two weeks later he’s out of surgery, facing a long and uncertain off-season climb to get back for the 2010 schedule. His rehab began immediately after the doctors reattached the ligament, as he didn’t want to risk not being ready for the coming CFL summer.

"It’s been over seven months now, so I’ve had some time to work on it," Renaud said earlier this season.

In an effort to get ahead of the curve, the 25-year-old from Calgary came to Winnipeg a month before Bombers training camp, just to get a feel for the Canad Inns Stadium field and more importantly, the howling wind which makes some visiting kickers cower in their lockers before games. Renaud hit balls three times a week during that time, working on mechanics while searching to find a level of comfort before others joined him for camp.

"It was a little different," the punter said of the first time really laying his leg into a pigskin. "Like everyone told me, the biggest impact or fear was mental — trying to tell myself that my knee is 100 per cent.

"It was fine at the five-month mark, but it was tough believing that it was OK."

The Bombers certainly believed Renaud was going to be 100 per cent, as the club didn’t even bother putting up a ruse that his job was up for grabs in camp. That faith was instantly transformed into certainty, as the University of Calgary product has not only returned to his 2009 form, but looks better than he was last year.

Winnipeg coach Paul LaPolice calls Renaud "one of the best directional punters" in the CFL and after the first two games of the season, the argument can be made that his punting has been the lone bright spot for the Bombers’ special teams contingent.

Week 1 against the Ticats at a windy Polo Park field: A 60.4-yard average on five punts.

Week 2 against the Toronto Argonauts: 43.4-yard average on five punts.

Compare that to last season (41-yard average) and you find barely any trace of a 2009 knee injury.

"It might even be a little stronger," he said. "(The coaches) could have cut me in the off-season, and I probably wouldn’t blame them. They gave me a chance, though, and I’m going to try to show that faith was warranted."

One thing that has changed, albeit just a little, is Renaud’s enthusiasm for hunting down punts. It’s not out of the ordinary to see the 6-foot-2, 217-pound punter trying to get by a block or two in hopes of regaining possession for the Blue and Gold.

That’s how he hurt his knee in the first place.

"I’ve put a lot of thought into it, absolutely," Renaud said. "Those things that happen on the field, they aren’t predetermined. I may not hit a ball as far as I’d like to, or if I see an opportunity where I can jump on one, I’m still going to have that instinct to run it down and get it.

"I’m going to choose my battles a little more wisely, I think, and realize that those things (injuries) are possible."

The Bombers (1-1) travel to Hamilton this morning to face the Tiger-Cats (0-2) Friday at Ivor Wynne Stadium (6 p.m., CJOB, TSN).

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca