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September 20, 2017

48-Hour Primer | OTT vs WPG

Jamaal Westerman (55) of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before the game at New Mosaic Stadium in Regina, SK, Saturday, July 1st, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

Jamaal Westerman stood in front of a throng of media, all decked out in his Winnipeg Blue Bombers gear and sporting a blue ball hat with his number – 55 – emblazoned on the front.

And so just so everyone is clear, while the veteran defensive end is being shut down for the season due to an injury he suffered in the Banjo Bowl – he opted not to provide any further details – he does still indeed have a pulse.

He’ll still be one of the first to report to work, and he’ll be a beast in attacking his rehab, whenever that may begin. But near the end of his media availability, after being asked a couple of times if he thought the injury was career threatening or if he would ever play again, Westerman joked: “I don’t think there’s a coffin around here for me to jump in.”

This does touch on one of the most difficult aspects of recovery for an athlete, including one like Westerman, who is set to become a free agent this winter.

He is a respected voice in the dressing room and a difference maker on the field. Westerman vowed again Wednesday to find a role in which he can help, without being too much in the faces of the men who will be asked to replace him in the defensive-end rotation in Trent Corney, Jackson Jeffcoat, Tristan Okpalaugo and Shayon Green.

“Now I’m doing it more for Trent, I’m doing it more for Tristan and Jake and Shayon and Jeffcoat and Cory and all those guys,” said Westerman. “All the notes I have, I’m not going to be able to make use of them on Friday. I’m going to be giving it to them and talking to them throughout the game. But also, you have to know when to step back. You can’t be in somebody’s ear every play and be like ‘You need to do that, you need to do that.’ You watch them play, you congratulate them, you keep their spirits up, you cheer like crazy and you be happy for them.”

The final decision to shut down Westerman for the season came Tuesday afternoon after consultations with doctors, specialists and Bombers Head Athletic Therapist Al Couture.

“After talking to Al and the specialists we decided that it wasn’t a benefit to anybody for me to continue to play and go out there and possibly make things worse or different things like that,” said Westerman. “As always, you’re kind of fighting whether you can play and what level you can play at. That becomes a thing also.

“(Tuesday) we finally nailed down what we were thinking about doing.”

The Bombers have the bodies to fill the void left by Westerman on the field. The difficulty – and this is impossible to measure – is what void might be left in his leadership, even if he is still around.

“He’s immersed in the entire culture of the team,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea. “He’s involved in every facet of the game, from prep to review: I don’t anticipate any difference there. Where you’re going to see the difference is on the field and him not playing. But everything else… he’s a pro. He’s going to keep himself involved.”

“West is not a guy who is going to feel sorry for himself,” added Jeffcoat. “He’s going to be around, he’s going to be positive, he’s going to keep lifting guys up. He’s a great person. He’s always around. On the field, it feels like we’ve lost him, but in the meeting room and all around, we haven’t.

“He’s a natural leader. He always knows what to say. He always gets us hyped up before the games. He’s a smart player. He orchestrates things out there, he’s always calling out what we need to do, he can see what offences are doing.”

“We’ve got to step up and pick up that slack,” Jeffcoat continued. “We’ve got to raise our game to another level because he’s not there with us. It hurts bad. I mean, a guy like him who was tied for first in the league in sacks (before the bye week), it’s fun having him out there with you, especially with as excited as he plays and as passionate as he plays. It’s tough having him gone.”

The timetable for Westerman’s rehab is unknown and he played coy when asked if ‘out for the season’ included the playoffs.

At least, it could be said, the man is keeping a brave and upbeat public face.

“We’ll see, man,” he said with a grin. “I’ve thrown some prayers up. You can put one up for me. We’ll see what happens.”


BOMBERS REPORT – September 20, 2017

The Bombers completed their final full practice on Wednesday in advance of Friday’s meeting with the defending Grey Cup champion Ottawa REDBLACKS.

Here are three things you should know before the team’s Thursday walk-through practice…

THORPE EXITS:

The club announced before practice Wednesday that receiver T.J. Thorpe had been released from the practice roster. It turns out that Thorpe opted to exit rather than stay on the PR.

“He was on the practice roster, he chose to leave,” said head coach Mike O’Shea.

Asked if he was disappointed in Thorpe’s decision, he added: “Yup. I thought he had a role on this team, but… it’s all right.”

A CFL rookie, Thorpe had 33 catches for 302 yards in six games for the Bombers this year, but had lost his spot on the roster in recent weeks with the decision to activate converted running back Timothy Flanders in his role.

Thorpe’s departure does leave the Bombers thinner at receiver after starters Darvin Adams, Weston Dressler, Clarence Denmark, Julian Feoli-Gudino, along with Matt Coates and Ryan Lankford. There are three options on the practice roster in L’Damian Washington, Drew Wolitarsky and Brett Blaszko.

T.J. Thorpe (14) of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the game against the BC Lions at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC., on Friday, July 21, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

REDBLACKS QB WATCH:

Ottawa is currently without No. 1 QB Trevor Harris and the status of No. 2 man Drew Tate remains uncertain for Friday. Tate started in Sunday’s win over Montreal, but did not finish the game after taking a hellacious hit and was replaced by Ryan Lindley.

The REDBLACKS said Wednesday that Tate will dress.

“We’re going to see how well he gets,” head coach Rick Campbell told reporters in Ottawa. “Ryan Lindley was taking all the first-team reps today just to get him ready to go, but if Drew keeps coming around we’ll see how he is. Our doctors and staff feel comfortable enough with him dressing so that’s a good sign, but we’ll see how far he progresses here.

“I’m not ruling anything out. I’m completely comfortable with Lindley, that’s why he had all the reps today and we’ll see where Drew is.”

Asked where Tate would be listed on the depth chart for Friday’s game, Ottawa GM Marcel Desjardins said: “He could be anywhere from one to three right now. I mean, we’re not going to risk Drew by any stretch. As of right now, he is still an option.”

CRYSTAL BALL TIME:

As much as CFL free agency next February seems like eons from now, Jamaal Westerman was asked about his future with the club and whether he would like to stay.

“I enjoy Winnipeg, but right now, honestly, I’m thinking about Ottawa (this Friday),” he said. “It’s kind of a weird thing because then you start thinking about pending free agency and all that stuff… it doesn’t matter to me right now. I’m thinking about the next game and what I have to do to get my rehab right, get my body right. But also, preparing for this run we’re going to make because right now, we’re in position to get into the playoffs, we’re in a position to do things we haven’t done around here for a long time.

“Thinking about that stuff really helps nobody. Those decisions will be made when they’re made, those things will happen when they happen. Right now, I’m just focusing on this team’s success because the things we have going on right here has been the best since I’ve been here.”