Injuries a worry as Lions come to town
Jackson, Williams battling to get past injuries in time for Saturday’s game
Dave Dickenson sized up the scrum of reporters in search of an eligible volunteer.
He needs somebody somewhat agile in the wake of his Calgary Stampeders returning to practice this week with a banged-up batch of running backs.
But all the head coach saw was: Too fat.
Too short.
Too old.
Not athletic enough.
“Can you play?” a grinning Dickenson asked the veteran warhorse of the media group, play-by-play man Mark Stephen, after the Stamps’ two lead running backs — Don Jackson and Terry Williams — saw little or no practise time Tuesday.
“Yeah, we’re beat up (at that position). I think both guys have a chance (to return this week against the B.C. Lions), though, and both guys are working hard in rehab.
“But I really need one of those two to show they’re good to go. They got to push hard and do the right thing.”
Even if the Stampeders wanted to bring Jerome Messam back into the fold, the CFL wouldn’t let them after the veteran Canadian running back was charged Monday with voyeurism, released by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and told by the league that it would not register a contract for Messam should any team attempt to sign him.
So at this point, if neither are a no-go — Jackson (hamstring) was limited in the first practice of the week, while Williams (shoulder) didn’t see the field — the Stampeders’ options are slim for Saturday ’s tilt at McMahon Stadium (7 p.m., TSN/770 CHQR).
“There are concerns (over the injuries),” Dickenson said.
“As always, I’m going to make the best decision for the club. I want them to push hard, and I want them to see if they can get healthy. And if they are and they can show me they can practise by Day 3 (of the practice week), I’d like them to play.
“If not, we’ll go with the guys we have.”
One of those guys is Romar Morris, who got most of the first-team reps at running back in Tuesday’s practice.
Last Saturday in the 34-22 victory over the host Saskatchewan Roughriders, Morris got the call in place of Jackson, who was a late scratch.
Then Williams left the game with a recurring shoulder issue, putting rookie Morris in the spotlight as the Stamps’ main man running the rock.
The former star of the NCAA’s North Carolina Tar Heels scurried for 41 yards on 12 rushes, including a 20-yarder on the final scoring drive of the night to salt away the victory. Morris also caught three passes out of the backfield for 11 yards at Mosaic Stadium.
“He’s been a pro for us,” Dickenson said of Morris. “He didn’t get a lot of reps last week, and he still went out there and ran hard.”
All totalled, Morris has 58 yards on 21 carries this season.
The only other Stampeders player to run the ball in 2018 outside of Jackson, Williams, Morris and quarterbacks Bo Levi Mitchell and Nick Arbuckle, is fullback Ante Milanovich-Litre, with one carry for three yards.
So Morris seems to have one foot forward for a chance to shine in the backfield should the Stampeders need his services Saturday.
To boot, Morris has been an option in Calgary ’s return game, with the team needing his services with the loss of Williams Saturday and perhaps needing him again this week against the Lions.
“We kept Romar for a reason — he’s a solid returner as well,” said Dickenson, who has watched Morris return 10 punts for 108 yards and two kickoffs for 34 yards. “He’s not necessarily (going to be the featured guy in the run or return game this week), but it could happen that way.
“We’re just going to let the week of practice play out.”
Given a bye week is on tap following this week’s affair, don’t be surprised to see at least one of either Jackson or Williams sit out Saturday to give them extended time to get back up to full health.
“We feel like our running back position has been fairly strong — we’re beat up, though,” Dickenson said. “We’re smaller than in the past, and maybe that’s part of the reason why we’re beat up.
“But we have to play with the guys we have and do a good job.”
SHORT YARDAGE
Stampeders OL Randy Richards was back practising with the club Tuesday fresh off a knee injury. He’s one of three Stampeders — DL Michael Kashak and DB Tay Glover-Wright are the others — who came off the six-game injured list and could either be activated, placed on the one-game injured list, returned to the six-game injured list or placed on the practice roster prior to Saturday’s battle … DL/OL Quinn Smith was moved off the practice roster and put on the six-game injured list … DL Brandon Peguese was released by the Stamps. Peguese was in his first season with the team and last week completed a stint on the sixgame injured list. He did not see any regular season game action for the club.