Hello again everyone.
I write this as we come off a loss and a missed opportunity last week against the Argos. The last two weeks have been the most hectic, stressful, and exciting weeks of my football career. I’ve recently made the transition to playing center which is completely new to me. In my 11 years of playing football, I’ve never played center when the QB is in the shotgun formation. I will admit, that along with the magnitude of the game, it had me slightly nervous prior to my debut. It was far from a perfect game played but I avoided the dreaded over the head snap and we won so I felt alright about the maiden voyage.
The win was one of the most exciting wins I have ever been a part of. To beat the two-time defending champs and get the season series was a huge win for our organization. Every win we get from here on out will become the new bench mark for biggest wins of my career, while any loss will be up there in the most disappointing category. Our opponent this week, the Stampeders, did us a favour by beating Montreal, leaving us dead locked in a tie for first in the East Division heading into the final game of the regular season. It’s definitely an exciting time to be on board with the Blue Bombers!
Being in complete control of our own destiny is something that I have never experienced going into the final regular season game. It is a great feeling, and while it has not happened before, it really makes you cherish how great of an opportunity it is. One of the many things that I learned after my first year of pro football is that no locker room will have the same guys in it again. Opportunities like this do not present themselves often and when it does, you have to make the most out of it. All the hard work, the ups and downs this season has had, to be standing three wins away with the group of guys that we have is a great situation. It has taken a tremendous amount of hard work over the last six months and every member of the organization has made sacrifices to get us to where we are.
As we play into the month of November, it becomes increasingly imperative that as players we understand our assignment and how to execute it consistently. As you get further into November, any mistake you make carries more and more significance. The elements can begin to set in and the colder temperatures can hinder a team’s focus and serve as a crutch as to why a job did not get done. It’s situations like we are in now that really show a team’s character. As we head into Calgary for the biggest game of the year to date, it is important that we realize that this opportunity is rare and as a team we must make the most of it. We are unfortunately running out of time together and these final few games will define who we are as a team. It will be a new stage for many players but given where we have come from and the disappointment of the last couple of years, it’s definitely a welcomed change.
This Saturday we get a chance to achieve what we all set out to do early in June and get one step closer to our final goal. Thanks a lot for taking the time to read my Blog and Go Blue!!!
