Injuries Tough On Recruits Trying To Make Eskimos
12/06/2009 01:49
EDMONTON - The injury list at Edmonton Eskimos camp is getting longer by the minute, which could soon spell disaster. Especially if you’re a young recruit who hasn’t established his worth.
Rookie receiver Eric Ware has been out since main camp first began — due to a leg injury — and missing out on reps means he’s missing a golden chance.
“You don’t want guys missing big chunks,” said head coach Richie Hall. “It decreases their ability to be on the football field. The bottom line is you want to be ready to play and if you’re not ready to play, that’s the final evaluation.
“Especially for the young guys. We don’t know how you’d react in a game. You look great in practice, but practice is practice. How do you look against your opponent?”
It’s a determination that may never come for some of the injured recruits.
“It’s one of those one-man’s-misfortune-is-another-man’s-opportunity (situations) because we still have to practise,” stressed Hall. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but we still have to practise.
“Somebody that is not practising; someone else is going to take his reps and get better and get better and get better.”
In this instance, it’s receiver Efrem Hill, who battled back from a stitched-up finger that kept him out for a day and a half.
Linebacker Jason Kosec (back) is in the same boat as Ware, and running back Eric Lee (shoulder) has now missed some time.
Others sitting out Thursday’s camp session included: LB Maurice Lloyd (groin), OL Greg Wojt (knee), DB Jason Goss (undetermined) and FB Mathieu Bertrand (ankle). DL Jim Davis went down with an apparent burner, and OL Thaddeus Coleman was hobbling by day’s end.
The Esks released defensive back Emanuel White, another rookie who had been hampered by injury, on Thursday. They added receiver Sean Young of Cal-Berkley.
SWIVEL HIPS SAYS:
I hate training camp injuries – I just hate them.