QB Elliott relieved to finally hit field

After lengthy rehab he'll have new look

By: Adam Wazny Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Friday, Jun. 1, 2012

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IT'S always sunny in Joey Elliott's world.

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IT'S always sunny in Joey Elliott's world.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/06/2012 (5235 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IT’S always sunny in Joey Elliott’s world.

The above statement has little to do with practising under the warm and sunny skies with the rookies on the well-worn turf of Canad Inns Stadium. This week, the third-year Bomber quarterback is enjoying the chance to be out with his teammates once again, after spending most of the 2011 season sequestered away from the group as he rehabbed a torn ACL in his left knee.

“It sure feels good to be back out here,” he said Thursday.

The Purdue product was scheduled to go through these emotions at mini- camp in late April, but a flare-up in a quad muscle sidelined him for the duration of the workouts. More watching from the sidelines was tough to swallow, he said.

“That was a big letdown. You walk into the locker-room and see your teammates, you want to get back out on the field and work with them. When I couldn’t do that, it was tough to take. When you’ve missed as much time as I have, you want to show everyone you can still do it.”

Elliott will have a new look to his game for the 2012 season. A knee brace is now a part of his uniform, something he’s never had to wear in his football career. The knee feels great, he says, and the brace — well, it feels great, too.

“If your boss tells you to wear a suit to work every day, you’re going to wear the suit every day,” he said. “Same thing with the knee brace. It’s just something I have to put on before taking the field.”

The 25-year-old trained all winter without the man-made joint, his knee strong enough to not worry about it collapsing under him as he dropped back to throw. Training camp is a different animal, however, so the club fit him for a brace just to make sure there are no accidents.

“You never know when an offensive lineman is going to fall into you,” he said, adding that he would wear the brace when the season starts. “Obviously, I’m not a big runner, so it shouldn’t have too much impact on my game.”

Elliott is competing with Alex Brink for the No. 2 spot behind starter Buck Pierce.

PASCO A PLAYER: With the rookies stumbling and bumbling their way around the field the last two days, finding stand-out performances has been tough. One player on the short list, though, is Darrell Pasco.

The defensive back broke up a number of passes in the one-on-one drills and is showing an excellent nose for the football. Maybe that was to be expected. A practice roster addition late in 2011, he dressed for one regular-season game and the Grey Cup last season, and says that experience is shining through now.

“Getting to know some of the plays and being around the team definitely helped,” he said. “I’m still a rookie, so I’ll take advantage of that status and get some extra time on the field.”

The Bombers finish up rookie camp at Canad Inns Stadium this morning (10:30 a.m.).

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

Sales numbers

Quarterback Joey Elliott is wearing a new number this season. Gone is the No. 16, replaced by No. 14 — his old number at Purdue University. The number came up at the end of last season when Terence Jeffers-Harris was released. “There weren’t too many No. 16 jerseys in the stands so I went ahead and made the switch,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t think too many people will be upset.”

Travel issues

The Bombers welcomed receivers Paul Hubbard and Victor James to camp Thursday. That leaves only defensive back Demond Washington absent from the 36-man rookie roster. He’s expected to participate today, and should be in good standing. Head coach Paul LaPolice dismissed the suggestion Washington would have some ground to make up after missing the first two days of a three-day camp.