June 1, 2016
The first thought is to push 2015 out of sight, out of mind. And then to mercifully have that nightmarish season just fade quickly in his own rear-view mirror.
Onward and upward… you know the drill.
Except there was a lot about last year that Addison Richards will cherish for his lifetime, like being drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, playing in his first Canadian Football League game, and pulling in his first catch.
And, yes, there was a whole lot of bad, too.
There was the hamstring injury early on that ruined what was a spectacular training camp. There was the quadriceps injury that was related to the hamstring injury that, it turns out, was all part of a torn labrum in his hip that needed to be fixed with surgery last fall.
“They got in there and cleaned up the debris and then re-anchored it in place,” began Richards. “It was a wear-and-tear thing not related to any specific incident.
“You know, I have the highest expectations for myself. Getting drafted here was exciting, I was so excited to become a Blue Bomber. And then getting here to camp… Day 2 or 3 I’m already out two weeks with a hamstring injury. I fight back from that, start to get a little bit of playing time and get my first catch, all of which is exciting.
“And then ‘Boom!’ it’s done after Week 6 and I’m sitting on the sideline watching.”
And so the 2015 stat line for Richards hardly had fans thinking he was the next Joe Poplawski: five games played; one catch for 12 yards.
But while the Bombers are letting Richards ease back into the football groove after a winter of rehab, they still have their fingers crossed the 6-4, 194-pound former University of Regina star – he led the country in receiving yards in his draft year – can morph into a receiving threat for Drew Willy & Co.
Bombers coach Mike O’Shea said the increase in Richards’ comfort level since camp began is now showing up on film.
“It was definitely frustrating last year. It was definitely one of the hardest years of my football career, if not my life, having to go through that. But going through it just makes me appreciate the game that much more.”
Addison Richards
“Nobody plans to get injured, it just happens. You can’t put that on yourself. You just have to realize that if you put the work in to come back and give everything you have then you can live with it, even if it doesn’t work out.
“Just knowing I could get back this year and I could compete in camp was all I needed for motivation.
“I’m a 100 percent,” he added. “The offseason was about getting healthy, it wasn’t necessarily about working on football specifics. The first couple of days of camp… Day 1 was an adjustment but now it’s starting to come and I’m feeling comfortable moving around and getting into the flow of the offence.
“My goal is just getting better every day, that’s been my approach since high school. Learn something, work at something, get better at something.”
BOMBER CAMP REPORT – Day 4
OUCH REPORT:
CB Johnny Adams (lower body) and OL Patrick Neufeld (upper body) will be out for a bit yet, according to Bombers coach Mike O’Shea.
Neufeld is close to returning, but Adams is uncertain for the first preseason game next week. In Neufeld’s absence, former B.C. Lion/Saskatchewan Roughrider Jermarcus Hardrick has been taking a lot of reps with the No. 1 offence at right tackle.
Receiver Gerrard Sheppard and LB Kyle Knox, two newcomers trying to make an impression, are both close to returning to work. The bumps and bruises that have kept Knox from practicing has taken away some of the momentum he had gathered with an impressive rookie camp last week.
“Kyle Knox is right there around the corner ready to go,” said O’Shea. “He’s an exciting player we want to get out there and another of those guys playing linebacker that we think can play for us.”
LOADING UP AT LB:
Yes, it’s only the first few days of training camp, but the Bombers are intrigued by their depth at linebacker – Khalil Bass, Ian Wild, Moe Leggett, Sam Hurl, Tony Burnett, Jesse Briggs, Garrett Waggoner, Knox, Teague Sherman along with newcomers Duron Singleton, John Rush (currently injured) and draft picks Shayne Gauthier and Frank Renaud.
“We’ve got a lot of good linebackers right now and I feel very comfortable with any of them playing for us,” said O’Shea. “The hope is we can get a bunch of different looks on the field and keep everybody fresh during the game.”
BATTLE STATIONS:
O’Shea was asked an interesting question about the anatomy of a camp battle. In general terms, he said, he wants every player in camp to feel like they should be looking over their shoulder at the competition.
“Ideally, each guy is coming in believing he is in a battle for his job,” he said. “The incumbent starter, the all-star incumbent, whoever those guys are… Drew Willy, Andrew Harris… all these guys, you want them to come in with the idea that they’re battling for their job every single practice. That’s how they’re going to get better. That’s how they’re going to go from good players to great players, that’s how they’re going to make the plays that help us win games.”
LET THE SUN SHINE IN:
The Bombers have spent the last two days of camp working through the rain and cool temperatures, but it hasn’t impacted their schedule or the intensity level.
“It hasn’t changed anything so far,” said O’Shea. “I like the energy they’ve brought. They’ve done a fairly good job executing. There’s been the odd ball that has slipped through a receiver’s hands, but the focus after has been very good and you see those guys catching the next one. I don’t think it’s really had an ill effects on us.”
LITTLE BIG MEN:
The Bombers, to a man, continue to rave about the additions of Weston Dressler and Ryan Smith and what the two ex-Roughriders can bring to the offence.
“I’m extremely excited to be playing with Weston again… when I did get into games in Sask I had a lot of success with him,” said Drew Willy. “And then having Ryan Smith here… I had watched him on film a lot when he was in Sask and I knew he was a good player, but he’s really blown me away just seeing him in person every day and the way he works, the way he gets open, the way he just plays 100 per cent on every single play.
“Both of them are going to bring huge things to our offence and I think the fans are just going to love what they’re about and how they play.”
LAST WORD:
Here’s O’Shea when asked how long it might take him during a camp to, big picture, know what kind of team he has:
“There’s still so many pieces that need to be verified, but my gut tells me we have a good team. I’d like to see it prove out that way in the exhibition, but the way they’re practising, the types of guys we have here, just the attitude around here the last couple of days has been very, very good. That feels good, but as a coach you always want a little more proof on film.”
