Stamps notes: Filling Joe West’s large shoes

Another game, another injured receiver and yet another opportunity for those Calgary Stampeders who’ve been knocking on the door to earn a coveted spot in the lineup.

Joe West was the latest to be admitted to sick bay with a separated shoulder suffered in Saturday’s win over Montreal. He joins fellow import Maurice Price (hamstring), about whom head coach and GM John Hufnagel said there wasn’t much of chance he’d be in the lineup in Winnipeg on Friday.

At Tuesday’s workout, Tim Hawthorne and Greg Carr were a couple of prominent practice roster guys who took more of their share of reps.

“What I’ve done all year is prepare every week as if I was going to play,” said Hawthorne, standing tall at six-foot-three and 218 pounds. “The coaches definitely told me to be ready this week, understand the playbook and the plays we have going in to Winnipeg and just go out there and perfect them. I’m just taking it day by day.”

That, in a nutshell, is the role of the practice roster player and Hawthorne is as patient as they come.

“It’s difficult,” he began, “because of two things: Number 1, just being a competitor in this sport. You want to be the one out there making the plays and number 2, as wide receivers, we’re vocal. We all want the ball, we all want to make the big play, the touchdown catch, the first-down catch, whatever it may be. The thing about since I’ve been up here in Calgary is that it’s been family oriented. No one is selfish on this team; it’s all about us getting the win and that’s the most important thing.”

Should Hawthorne get his chance to crack the lineup on Friday, he’ll just have to stay posted on just who will throw him the ball.

“You’re right about that,” he said. “We don’t know, but I’ll tell you what, whoever it is, we have confidence that they’ll be able to get the job done. And that’s what we’ll roll with; no excuses.”