Professional misconduct

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 18/11/2011 (5414 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Terrence Edwards says he did the best he could to counsel a disgruntled teammate.

But in the end, even the fatherly guidance of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers veteran slotback was not enough to get Terence Jeffers-Harris back on a path that would allow him to keep his job.

At least not in Winnipeg, that is. A wild 12 hours for Jeffers-Harris on Thursday — which saw the 23-year-old import receiver out of Vanderbilt released by the Bombers in the morning for violating “team rules” — ended late last night with unconfirmed reports on Twitter that he was already in Hamilton and talking with the Tiger-Cats.

The Ticats, of course, are the Bombers’ opponent in Sunday’s East Division final and the presence of Jeffers-Harris in Hamilton just ratcheted up the interest level in that game considerably.

It wasn’t immediately clear last night what the Ticats’ interest in Jeffers-Harris might be, as he’s believed to be ineligible to play in the playoffs at this point. But clearly there would be value to Hamilton in having in town a player who was in posession of a Bombers playbook until Thursday morning and had taken part in practice on Wednesday in which Winnipeg installed their game plan for this week.

Bombers officials said last night they knew nothing of Jeffers-Harris’s whereabouts. Neither Ticats offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones or team spokesman Scott McNaughton responded to email requests for comment and Jeffers-Harris’s agent, Gil Scott, did not return a phone message.

And the man himself? Jeffers-Harris could not be reached for comment, but he did issue a cryptic tweet earlier Thursday evening in which he seemed to suggest his playing days might not be over.

Jeffers-Harris sent this message on his personal Twitter account: “I have plenty to Say!!!! But let’s think…Hmmm Wont get Far!!! Guess I’ll stick to Talking w/ My actions on the Field!!!!”

Last night’s developments capped a strange day in which Jeffers-Harris was cut by the Bombers for repeatedly violating team rules, which sources described as being late for team functions and missing at least two meetings recently.

Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice said the recent conduct of Jeffers-Harris left the club feeling obligated to act, even if the move does leave the Bombers now razor-thin in terms of depth at the import receiver spot heading into Sunday’s big game.

“This is more important than depth,” LaPolice told reporters Thursday afternoon following practice. “It’s not the first time it’s happened and so we just decided to go in a different direction. At this crucial time of the year, I think everyone’s focus should be on winning a championship.”

Edwards said that he had tried to counsel Jeffers-Harris personally, but no avail. “You have to be a professional when you’re in professional football,” Edwards said. “I’ve been offering him advice since he got here until as early as (Wednesday). On the ride back (from practice), me and him had a heart-to-heart.”

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Bombers GM Joe Mack had this to say in a statement:

“It became evident throughout the course of the season that TJ was struggling with his position with the team. With our club preparing for this crucial game Sunday, it became clearer that he was having difficulty coming to terms with the challenges of limited playing time.”

Much was expected from Jeffers-Harris coming into this season after a promising rookie campaign in 2010 that saw the Vanderbilt product haul down 48 catches for 547 yards and four TDs in 11 games.

But after a slow start this season Jeffers-Harris lost his starting job.

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca