A world of hurt

Almost every Bomber is a little banged-up -- they're football players

By: Adam Wazny Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011

'Just sore. Typical football player."

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'Just sore. Typical football player."

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2011 (5159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

‘Just sore. Typical football player.”

That was the self-diagnosis Odell Willis provided to the media after practice at Canad Inns Stadium Tuesday afternoon — a report on an injured knee suffered during the 24-10 loss to Edmonton last weekend.

“If I can walk, I can run — plain and simple.”

CP
Like most clubs at this point, Winnipeg is managing more than a few injuries between games. — CP Like most clubs at this point, Winnipeg is managing more than a few injuries between games.

Willis expects to be in the lineup when the Blue Bombers host the Montreal Alouettes Saturday afternoon, but it turns out the defensive end’s status update could apply to many of the Bombers these days. With three games left in a long CFL season, “typical football players” are hurting all over the field.

Take Cory Watson, for example.

The sophomore receiver was setting the East division on fire with his play through the summer months, on pace for a 1,000-yard campaign and quickly establishing himself as a bona-fide Canadian threat in the Winnipeg attack.

Now, Watson is drawing attention for something else.

Since pulling down nine balls for 111 yards in the Banjo Bowl, the 27-year-old has 15 catches for 168 yards receiving in the last five games. That number shrinks to just 76 yards over the same span if you remove the 92-yard catch and run in Montreal last month.

Watson, whose 6-foot-2, 204-pound frame has been moved inside to the slot position to help out with the blocking on the line of scrimmage, hasn’t cracked the 20-yard receiving mark in the last three contests (19, 5, 15) — a lack of production directly linked to the fact that he’s hurting.

“The adjustment is getting more contact than I’m used to,” said Watson, who admits the grind of the 18-game schedule is starting to wear on him physically. “Last year, I don’t really get too much contact. I’m relatively fine. No one is 100 per cent at this time of the year. I’m good enough.

“I don’t want to blame it on that entirely. Obviously I’m a little banged up from the week. Being hit is a part of the game.”

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice takes issue with the assertion that Watson is a little banged up. It’s much worse, actually.

“He’s not a little banged up — he’s really banged up,” he said. “His fingers are all jammed up and all those things. He’s a tough kid. He doesn’t complain; he just keeps playing.”

Good enough and don’t complain: That’s where things are at with the Bombers health-wise, a mindset that most CFL players subscribe to these days. Eighteen games is a marathon for some young players, who aren’t physically conditioned to endure the seemingly continuous pounding week in and week out.

To help with the various bumps and bruises, the Bombers are trying to limit the amount of wear and tear on their players on two fronts. One, the pads are coming off at practice after the club finishes its inside run drills; and two, the coaches are starting to cut down the amount of time the players are on the field, foregoing an extra on-field session or three for the betterment of physical well-being.

“We should know what we’re doing now,” LaPolice said of the trade-off.

Watson said the toll of the long CFL schedule has caught him by surprise. Remember: He only caught balls in eight games in 2010 and the season before that, the CIS football schedule at Concordia consisted of just nine regular-season games.

He’s hit the wall. Or rather, the wall has hit him.

“Your body has to get adjusted to the everyday grind of going through practice, going through meetings, going through workouts, going through games,” Watson said, knowing he has to be mentally tougher to focus through this important stretch of the season. “This year is a learning experience for me in (those) terms, and I think that next year will be a lot better.”

Like Willis, Watson practised Tuesday. As did fellow receiver Clarence Denmark, who suffered a shoulder injury in Edmonton. He said the injury wasn’t as bad as it been made out to be, and that he’s ready to go for the crucial first-place matchup with the Alouettes.

The Bombers are back on the field this morning.

adam.wazny@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wazoowazny

Black and blue and gold

Like most clubs at this point, Winnipeg is managing more than a few injuries between games. Some of the ailments are serious, while others simply require some rest. A look at who’s hurting within the Bomber ranks:

Outside of DE Odell Willis (knee) and SB Cory Watson (banged up), a handful of players are dealing with nagging injuries. This list includes: DB Alex Suber (neck); LB Marcellus Bowman (foot); and DL Rodney Fritz (hamstring). This list could go on, true, but those were the players who didn’t practise Tuesday. All in all, the club is in pretty good shape.
Head coach Paul LaPolice said last week that no one on the nine-game injured reserve list is expected to come back this season. That means RB Fred Reid (knee); QB Joey Elliott (knee); LB Joe Lobendahn (knee); WR Kito Poblah (knee); S Brady Browne (biceps); RB Carl Volny (knee); OL Chris Kowalczuk (leg); and OL Paul Swiston (lower body) are out for the year.
As for quarterback Buck Pierce and his bruised ribs, they remain one well-positioned hit away. He said Tuesday he was sore after the Edmonton game, and his condition will likely remain that way for the balance of the schedule.