Calvillo not the type to sit out

By: Paul Wiecek Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Friday, Sep. 30, 2011

Anthony Calvillo has defied the odds, his age, even cancer to remain the premier quarterback in the CFL.

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Anthony Calvillo has defied the odds, his age, even cancer to remain the premier quarterback in the CFL.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/09/2011 (5107 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Anthony Calvillo has defied the odds, his age, even cancer to remain the premier quarterback in the CFL.

And so against that backdrop, the fact Calvillo will start tonight at Canad Inns Stadium against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers just a week after he was knocked unconscious in a win over Edmonton is relatively minor stuff.

But in an era where everyone is being hypervigilant about head injuries, the Alouettes decision to let Calvillo return to the playing field this week so soon after such a devastating hit has come under intense scrutiny.

Herb Zurkowsky, the longtime Als beat writer for the Montreal Gazette, pointed out in his paper on Thursday that any boxer who is knocked unconscious in the ring would have to sit out at least a month before being allowed to compete again, while Calvillo is returning just seven days later.

So what does Calvillo think?

“I’m 39 years old. I’m not going to jeopardize my future and my brain for a football game,” Calvillo told reporters during a media availability at a downtown Winnipeg hotel on Friday. “As long as the (post-concussion) protocols are there to say I’m ready to go and I feel comfortable, then I’m going to go out there and compete.”

Calvillo said he has undergone a battery of tests this week for any signs of post-concussion syndrome and has passed all of them with flying colours and has remained symptom-free all week.

Calvillo said he has had no headaches since flying home to Montreal from Edmonton and the team’s doctors have given him a clean bill of health.

“They feel confident,” Calvillo said, “that at this point nothing should happen in the next 24 hours that would prevent me from playing.”

Calvillo was asked if any consideration was given to sitting out as a precaution once Winnipeg announced on Thursday that their starting quarterback, Buck Pierce, would take the week off to rest his bruised ribs.

“That never crossed our mind whatsoever,” Calvillo said. “It wasn’t the case at all where we were thinking if their guy’s sitting then I’m going to sit.”

But now that Pierce is sitting and the Bombers have decided to give Alex Brink just the second start of his professional career, will that change how the Alouette defence schemes tonight’s game?

“I don’t think just because their quarterback is down that they’re going to lose their mojo or nothing like that,” said Als defensive end Anwar Stewart. “We’ve still got to go out and play this game. Nothing changes for us.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca