Another game and another great team effort. For the 5th week in a row, we put ourselves in a position to win the game in the 4^th quarter and pulled together for another big win. It wasn’t easy and we lost some valuable players on the way but other guys stepped up (once again) and we kept ourselves on the right track. Losing guys like Andy and Darian for an extended period of time is never a good thing but it’s part of the sport. Can you really expect to run into someone full speed 60+ times a game and not get hurt?? And as expected, the greatest fan in the CFL braved mother nature and got Mosaic as loud as ever from the time we ran out of the tunnel/giant helmet to the very last play, thanks guys!!! Speaking of running out of the giant helmet reminds me of a funny story. I’m always near the front and one of the first ones to run out. Last year, as I was jumping around trying to stay loose and focus, I ended up landed on some wires. When I looked down I saw a cable connection that wasn’t hooked up, which after examination appeared to be connected to the fireworks on the left side that explodes when we first run out. So here I am, trying to figure out if I had disconnected it or if it was meant to be disconnected and I have no clue. Would they set up the firework cables through here? Would they really leave an important connection in the middle of where we run out? As a dozen questions ran through my head seconds before they told us to run out I told myself “Nah, that has to be for something else.” So they tell us to go and out running we come and “blam” the firework on the right side go off and not the ones on the left, the exact one I thought (or did) disconnect. I ruined the fireworks that night but on the bright side I never had to worry about doing it again because I never saw the firework cables in there anymore, I just hope I didn’t get anyone fired!

 

Most of you know our popular/star players and their direct impact on the games you see every weekend. But I think it’s important to realize that as crucial to our team’s success that they are, there are another 30 guys you may have never heard of that push and prepare those guys weekly. For example: Jeremy O’Day can’t get any better if Jim Verdon takes it easy on him during the week. Corey Grant can’t be prepared if Tad Kornegay doesn’t give him the proper look of what our opponent that week is going to do in the secondary. Take me for example: I’m the 6^th offensive lineman, which means that if anyone gets hurt up front during the game I jump in their position. Does that mean I just breeze through practice each day? It’s actually the opposite; I try to do better than all 5 of the guys ahead of me so I can be on that field the next game as a starter. No one ever wants to be the backup on a team because before we became pros, everyone on this team was once a key component on their college team. It’s always hard to go from a full time starter to a backup and wait around. Show me a player who says he doesn’t mind being a backup and I will show you a player that’s just staying around until they stop giving him a paycheck. A good backup is one who understands his role and does it well but still pushes everyday to become a starter, not one who complains to the coaches or general manager about his lack of playing time. Thankfully we don’t have complainers in our locker room, just guys who come to work each and everyday. A job well done is always better than a job well said. That means that a backup must outplay the guy ahead of him and when he gets a chance to get in a game he has to be perfect so the coaches feel as though they have to leave him in there. That’s the life of a backup. So everyday I go to practice I try to be perfect, that’s what I get paid for anyways. A player doesn’t get paid to play on game day, that’s the fun part, the part you’d do for free. I believe you get paid to practice and you play the games for free.

 

I issued you fans out there a little challenge in my 1^st blog about cheering when the introduced me as “eligible” and you guys were awesome!!!! I especially heard the East side (wake up West side!) and thought it was great and hilarious. I was even told there’s a facebook group about me reporting as eligible now, so thanks to whoever took the time to start it. Even though I only got in 6 plays last game I managed to get into 3 “scuffles” while out there prompting a text from my brother telling me I “must have the league record for most scuffles in the least amount of plays in a game.” I figure if I’m going to only get 6 plays in a game that I might as well have fun and hit someone, right?...and I tell you my friends, I’m not making this stuff up…