Bombers tip helmets to Als’ Calvillo

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/10/2011 (5167 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AS expected, accolades for the man they call A.C. — Montreal Alouettes quarterback Anthony Calvillo — were still flowing Tuesday.

A day after the 18-year veteran hit receiver Jamel Richardson for a 50-yard touchdown pass at the end of the third quarter in a win over Toronto — yardage that gave Calvillo the record for the most passing yards by a professional quarterback (he moved ahead of Damon Allen’s 72,381 yards) — some members of the Blue Bombers offered their take on the future Hall of Famer.

“Unbelievable landmark, unbelievable quarterback,” Winnipeg quarterback Buck Pierce said. “He’s a guy I’ve looked up to every year that I’ve been (in the CFL). I study him in the off-season and I watch what he does. The person that he is, as an ambassador of this league, speaks volumes for his character.”

Calvillo, who earned deserved media recognition for the incredible accomplishment on both sides of the border Monday and Tuesday, now has 72,429 career passing yards.

Pierce called Calvillo “one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time” and was especially thoughtful with his words regarding the Alouettes pivot. He mentioned how Calvillo struggled to find his pro football footing during early stops in Las Vegas (1994) and Hamilton (1995-97), nearly bouncing out of the CFL before the Als took him in to back-up Tracy Ham in 1998.

The rest, as they say in Montreal now, is historic.

What really struck a chord with Pierce, though, is how the unassuming veteran handles himself off the field. Calvillo calls Montreal home now and continues to give back to a fanbase even at this late stage of his career — a responsibility that earns a lot of points with Pierce.

— CENTURY MAN: In Friday’s win over Hamilton, Bombers running back Chris Garrett put down Winnipeg’s first 100-yard ground game this season and the first by the Bombers in nearly a full calendar year (Fred Reid rushed for 105 yards against Toronto Oct. 23, 2010).

Here’s Garrett on how he found 131-yards against the Tiger-Cats:

“It wasn’t anything I was doing — the offensive linemen, they were putting the hat (on) the hat and driving (to control) the line of scrimmage. I was pretty much just being patient and picking the hole.”

For those wondering, Garrett is not classified as a rookie. He dressed for five games in 2010, and league rules stipulate any player who appears in one game in the CFL or NFL is no longer considered a freshman.

ATTICS

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SICK BAY

Receiver Terrence Edwards and linebacker Marcellus Bowman took a ‘maintenance’ day Tuesday. Defensive lineman Rodney Fritz (hamstring) didn’t practise, either. Defensive back Alex Suber (undisclosed) was excused from practice because of a doctor’s appointment. He’s fine, the club insists.

THINK PINK

The Bombers quarterbacks — all six of them — are sporting pink practice jerseys for the next couple weeks. The fashion choice comes with the CFL’s efforts to raise awareness for women’s cancers this month. Teams across the league will be wearing pink gloves, wristbands and tape in the Oct. 21-22 games.