Hazing rituals are increasingly frowned upon in football, yet grisly CFL initiation rites are still being practised by the B.C. Lions on a weekly basis.
Last Saturday, it was the freshman offensive line which went through a form of bonding through humiliation as the Roughriders ran roughshod over B.C. 37-18. Tonight, a defence greener than the fake grass at Empire Field will face a trial by fire at the hands of Anthony Calvillo, the 38-year-old maestro of the Montreal Alouettes? offence.
Through injury, circumstance and design, the Lions will start five rookies on defence ? six if you count fourth-year safety Tad Crawford, a first-year starter. It?s one reason defensive end Keron Williams, who sipped from the Grey Cup with the Alouettes last season, is aching to play. Unfortunately for him, Williams? groin is in greater pain, so he won?t.
?Routinely, I require two or three guys to block me,? Williams says, matter-of-factly. ?We still have Korey Banks and Aaron Hunt, and you need two guys on each of them. Hunt will beat anybody one-on-one. If all three of us are out there, you can?t scan us all, so somebody?s going to be open.?
Besides Williams, the Lions are also missing another veteran presence on defence ? middle linebacker Anton McKenzie, who is out with a high ankle sprain. His starting spot goes to rookie Solomon Elimimian, while another rookie, Joe Henderson, is stationed at the WILL outside linebacker position. A third newcomer at linebacker, Mike Johnson draws into the 42-man roster to replace McKenzie.
Defensive end Dominie Pittman and defensive tackle Montrell Craft, roommates and teammates together with Johnson at North Alabama last season, are two more newbies on the defensive line. Let?s not forget halfback Stanley Franks, who already has experienced withering fire from Ricky Ray and Darian Durant in his first two CFL starts.
?This is a fast defence, man,? Williams says. ?They?re young, they?re fast, but they?re learning. They?re not learning as fast as I would want, but give them time. In a couple more weeks, they should be clicking.?
The ability to make accurate reads on defence, field intelligence, is the X factor. That cognitive ability, where superior instincts meet superior experience, is what sets the truly great athletes apart from the very good ones. But it takes time.
In particular, Elimimian and Henderson, the two starting linebackers of promise, will get a chance to show if they?re on the right path. They?ll be tested early and often by Calvillo, Williams says.
?I hope A.C. does,? Lions head coach Wally Buono says, defiantly. ?I?d be content to see Anthony throwing crossing patterns, not deep ones, all night.?
Williams, who knows Calvillo?s tendencies, believes the Alouettes quarterback will be loosening up his arm and going right after Elimimian and Henderson on the first series.
?Absolutely,? he says. ?That?s how he gets in a rhythm, especially with Ben Cahoon [his favourite target]. [Jamel] Richardson ? that?s his route, across the middle. You know what happens when Anthony gets in a rhythm. All of a sudden, the ball?s going over your head [deep].?
Elimimian, 23, realizes he?s giving away a slight edge to Calvillo in CFL game experience ? 294 games to two ? but he?s ready for a hard hazing in his rookie year, one he thought might never come. He was All-WAC and co-defensive player of the year in 2008 with the Hawaii Rainbows. Elimimian, however, despaired that he might never play football again after being cut by the Buffalo Bills last season.
?My hunger to play just kept building and building,? he says. ?The hardest thing to do is train when you?re not sure if you?ll ever play football again. I said to myself, ?If I ever get the chance again, I?ll be ready.? I thank God for the opportunity to be here.?
In Buono?s view, Elimimian?s attitude reflects no sense of entitlement. Rookies understand that everything has to be earned and earned again. In every sense, the coach wants to believe his raw and callow defence/team is eager to set a certain example, to prove the doubters wrong.
?Sometimes 12 veterans are more difficult to read than rookies,? Buono says. ?At least the rookies will go out there because they?re scared and want to play well. Sometimes, with a veteran group, you?re always wondering if they?ll show up. With this group, I?m not concerned about that one little bit.?
Last Saturday, it was the freshman offensive line which went through a form of bonding through humiliation as the Roughriders ran roughshod over B.C. 37-18. Tonight, a defence greener than the fake grass at Empire Field will face a trial by fire at the hands of Anthony Calvillo, the 38-year-old maestro of the Montreal Alouettes? offence.
Through injury, circumstance and design, the Lions will start five rookies on defence ? six if you count fourth-year safety Tad Crawford, a first-year starter. It?s one reason defensive end Keron Williams, who sipped from the Grey Cup with the Alouettes last season, is aching to play. Unfortunately for him, Williams? groin is in greater pain, so he won?t.
?Routinely, I require two or three guys to block me,? Williams says, matter-of-factly. ?We still have Korey Banks and Aaron Hunt, and you need two guys on each of them. Hunt will beat anybody one-on-one. If all three of us are out there, you can?t scan us all, so somebody?s going to be open.?
Besides Williams, the Lions are also missing another veteran presence on defence ? middle linebacker Anton McKenzie, who is out with a high ankle sprain. His starting spot goes to rookie Solomon Elimimian, while another rookie, Joe Henderson, is stationed at the WILL outside linebacker position. A third newcomer at linebacker, Mike Johnson draws into the 42-man roster to replace McKenzie.
Defensive end Dominie Pittman and defensive tackle Montrell Craft, roommates and teammates together with Johnson at North Alabama last season, are two more newbies on the defensive line. Let?s not forget halfback Stanley Franks, who already has experienced withering fire from Ricky Ray and Darian Durant in his first two CFL starts.
?This is a fast defence, man,? Williams says. ?They?re young, they?re fast, but they?re learning. They?re not learning as fast as I would want, but give them time. In a couple more weeks, they should be clicking.?
The ability to make accurate reads on defence, field intelligence, is the X factor. That cognitive ability, where superior instincts meet superior experience, is what sets the truly great athletes apart from the very good ones. But it takes time.
In particular, Elimimian and Henderson, the two starting linebackers of promise, will get a chance to show if they?re on the right path. They?ll be tested early and often by Calvillo, Williams says.
?I hope A.C. does,? Lions head coach Wally Buono says, defiantly. ?I?d be content to see Anthony throwing crossing patterns, not deep ones, all night.?
Williams, who knows Calvillo?s tendencies, believes the Alouettes quarterback will be loosening up his arm and going right after Elimimian and Henderson on the first series.
?Absolutely,? he says. ?That?s how he gets in a rhythm, especially with Ben Cahoon [his favourite target]. [Jamel] Richardson ? that?s his route, across the middle. You know what happens when Anthony gets in a rhythm. All of a sudden, the ball?s going over your head [deep].?
Elimimian, 23, realizes he?s giving away a slight edge to Calvillo in CFL game experience ? 294 games to two ? but he?s ready for a hard hazing in his rookie year, one he thought might never come. He was All-WAC and co-defensive player of the year in 2008 with the Hawaii Rainbows. Elimimian, however, despaired that he might never play football again after being cut by the Buffalo Bills last season.
?My hunger to play just kept building and building,? he says. ?The hardest thing to do is train when you?re not sure if you?ll ever play football again. I said to myself, ?If I ever get the chance again, I?ll be ready.? I thank God for the opportunity to be here.?
In Buono?s view, Elimimian?s attitude reflects no sense of entitlement. Rookies understand that everything has to be earned and earned again. In every sense, the coach wants to believe his raw and callow defence/team is eager to set a certain example, to prove the doubters wrong.
?Sometimes 12 veterans are more difficult to read than rookies,? Buono says. ?At least the rookies will go out there because they?re scared and want to play well. Sometimes, with a veteran group, you?re always wondering if they?ll show up. With this group, I?m not concerned about that one little bit.?
