Bryant shocked by fine for illegal hit vs. Riders

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This article was published 18/09/2015 (4004 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE wallet of Winnipeg Blue Bombers left tackle Stanley Bryant is a little lighter this week.

The CFL announced Thursday morning it had fined Bryant an undisclosed amount for a block he administered during a 22-7 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Banjo Bowl Sunday.

A notice from the league was the first Bryant had heard after a hit he made on Riders defensive lineman Andre Monroe was considered dangerous, since a penalty was not issued on the play.

“I was just trying to cut a guy but I guess they think I didn’t do a good job,” Bryant said Thursday.

It’s the first time Bryant has been issued a fine in his six years of service in the CFL, but the third in recent weeks for Winnipeg, the other two being issued to defensive lineman Jamaal Westerman.

War of words

It was a testosterone-fuelled practice Thursday as tempers hit a boiling point between members of the offence and defence. Following a routine drill, a war of words between receiver Julian Feoli-Gudino and defensive back Bruce Johnson started to escalate, only to be extinguished by teammates who were able to intervene before any real fireworks happened.

It’s not the first time this season personnel from opposite sides of the ball have clashed, and each time players have been mostly supportive of the intensity. But that wasn’t the case for receiver Darvin Adams, who was quick to voice his opinion to his teammates as they jawed back and forth.

“It gets the guys excited, you know, makes you more competitive but sometimes it can get a little too much,” he said.

“We try to keep that within the team, not let everybody else in with what we got going on. It’s all great, it’s fun; gets the guys ready and gets the practice going. It’s acceptable, but to a certain extent.”

Moore not ruled out

Head coach Mike O’Shea is still unwilling to rule out receiver Nick Moore, who missed his second consecutive practice Thursday, for his team’s tilt against Montreal on Sunday. Moore, the Bombers’ leading receiver with 547 yards on 47 catches, will be reassessed today, O’Shea said.

Moore looked to injure his shoulder against the Riders but is said to be ailing from a lower-body injury.

Prior to getting hurt, Moore recorded three catches for 103 yards against the Riders, his first 100-yard game this season.

As difficult as it will be to fill the void left by their top receiver, Adams, who has also shown flashes of brilliance this season, said he doesn’t feel any added pressure.

“I don’t think it’s more pressure because if Nick goes down, the next person has got to step in and do the same thing as Nick would do,” he said. “Not taking anything away from Nick, because Nick is a great player, but we got other guys that can make plays, too. Everybody just got to do their job and we’ll be OK.”

Willy still limping

Remember quarterback Drew Willy? O’Shea offered up an update on his No.1 guy, now in the sixth week of a projected six-to-eight week absence after he suffered a tibial plateau fracture, as well as a partial PCL tear in his right knee.

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Willy has been a spectator at practice for the better part of his rehab, but a return to action soon looks doubtful as he continues to walk with a noticeable limp.

“They (doctors) reassess it every couple weeks, take whatever diagnostic they’re going to take and we just have patience with Drew,” O’Shea said. “There’s no point in rushing him. This is a young man’s career, too, that we’re talking about. He’ll be healthy and fine but there’s no use pushing him.”

Does O’Shea expect to see Willy back under centre this season?

“I wont close that door on a player,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of faith in players.”

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca twitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton joined the Free Press newsroom in 2015, reporting on the sports and investigative beats until he left the Free Press in July 2026.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produced was reviewed by an editing team before it was posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.