TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY FOR REDBLACKS’ STAR RECEIVER
Spencer, a product of strong family values, goes on field in memory of his late father
It was a heart numbing day for Ottawa Redblacks receiver Diontae Spencer — on Sept. 23, 2010, his father Clifton Williams was murdered.
On that day in Louisiana (New Iberia, population about 30,000), in his dad’s barber shop — Cliff’s Impressive Cuts — there was a robbery, then gunshots. At the age of 45, Clifton was dead.
“I’m strong and I’m going to continue to be strong, but still today, it bothers me,” said Spencer. “I was in college (at McNeese State), my freshman year. He never got to see me play college ball. He was going to attend the following week against LSU. (When he died), I went home for two or three days, then, with two days of practice, I played. Every time I go to on the field, it’s in memory of him, I try to give it my all.”
Clifton, a man of exceptional character who did so much for the community, was encouraging to the kid, a believer.
Said Spencer: “He would always say, ‘Can’t stop, won’t stop.’ That was his motto in life. Whatever you’re going at, when times get hard, don’t stop, you can’t stop. I try to live by that motto every day. Growing up, I was always the smallest guy. He’d say, ‘If that’s what you want to do, give it your all, give it 100 per cent.’ He was one of those guys when times were bad, he was there to say those little things, to be encouraging. I miss him.”
Then there’s his mom, Vanessa. Spencer admits he’s a mama’s boy. After setting a Canadian Football League record for most all-purpose yards in a game, with 496 a week ago against Hamilton (133 in catches, 169 on punt returns, 165 on kickoff returns and 29 on a missed field goal return — breaking a record set by Winnipeg’s Albert Johnson III, 474, set in 2000), Spencer put aside a game ball and the jersey he wore to give to his mom.
“My mom, she watches every game, then she rewatches the game and posts clips on her Facebook page,” said Spencer. “I try to go home every chance I get, but my mom calls me and says, ‘Hey, stay out there, there’s nothing here at home. Enjoy yourself.’”
His life revolves around his family, not only his mom, brothers and sisters, there’s also the team around him, men who have become just like family to the talented 25-year-old.
As a kid, Spencer admits he was a handful.
“I broke mirrors and glasses, I broke just about everything you can imagine in the house — just throwing the football around,” said Spencer, who got faster and faster until he could outsprint his athletic sister Vaneisha, a track star.
Spencer has long been a difference maker on the football field. In 2013, he had 365 all-purpose yards, scoring five touchdowns for McNeese State in a game against Stephen F Austin. For his excellence this season, Spencer, a former Toronto Argonaut who signed as a free agent with the Redblacks, is his team’s nominee for the league’s top special teams player. It was a tough choice — teammate Keelan Johnson has 29 special teams tackles.
“He also does a great job blocking for me,” said Spencer of his teammate. “Big ups to him for the year he’s had.”
Spencer doesn’t seek the spotlight, he deflects the attention to his teammates, who, he said, allow him to do what he does.
“Getting the individual awards is fun, but there are other guys out there making my job a lot easier,” said Spencer. “I want to thank those guys, thank the coaching staff for putting me in a good position to excel.” RISING TO THE DEFENCE: Defensive back Antoine Pruneau isn’t patting himself on the back after being the Redblacks’ nominee for the CFL’s top defensive player. After some struggles in 2016, he said the award could have gone to several of his teammates this time: “The way I see it, we’re all great players on our defence. It doesn’t really mean I was the best defensive player, it means I did a good job and people noticed. To know who’s doing the best job out there, you have to know our system, the specifics of that. Still, it’s always just an opinion. There are a ton of guys who could have won the award.” THE END AROUND: With the wind chill in Calgary sinking to -21 C on Thursday, and with snowfall, Redblacks players could be in store for a rude awakening sometime in the next couple of weeks. This is Ottawa, eh? Remember last year’s snow bowl — the East final against Edmonton. Said Redblacks coach Rick Campbell: “(Today) it’s 11 degrees, for the American guys, it’s 51 or 52 (F). I told them to turn on the TV (Friday night) and watch the Calgary game and see if you think this is cold. Most guys surprisingly adapt. The cold-weather games are usually playoff games where everything ’s on the line so they usually just overcome it.” ... D’oh! It’s happened again to Pruneau. In 2014, his rookie season, Pruneau’s Upper Deck card had his name ... and a photo of Marcus Henry. This year, it’s Pruneau’s name and a photo of Jake Harty. Has to be good for the value, right? ... The Redblacks are hoping to get returner/receiver Quincy McDuffie back on the practice field next week ... The Redblacks’ playoff fate will be decided Saturday night in Vancouver. A Lions win over the Toronto Argonauts would give Ottawa first place in the East and a bye to the division final in two weeks. A Toronto win and the Redblacks will host an East semifinal next week. tbaines@postmedia.com Twitter: @TimCBaines