Patience close to paying off for offensive lineman Harrison
Texan may suit up Friday for first game since Week 6
It’s been a year of ups and downs for Edwin Harrison but the Calgary Stampeders offensive lineman has refused to stay down for too long.
“Like I always tell people, this is the life I’ve chosen,” said the good natured Texan, after taking most of the first-team reps at tackle on Wednesday. “I know what comes with the territory. Getting injured is a part of football. The only thing you can do is grow and learn from it or let it bring you down and break you down.
“It’s just all how you take it.”
This season has also been an emotional journey for Harrison who was the subject of a TSN documentary production Engraved on a Nation, which is a series of stories leading up to the 100th Grey Cup. Harrison’s story, The Crash of Flight 810 (airing on Nov. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on TSN), features his family which had to deal with the death of his grandfather, Calvin Jones, a former CFL all-star who was killed in a plane crash in the Canadian Rockies returning from an all-star game in Vancouver.
On the field, however, he’s been dealing with the pain of a knee injury — and trying to approach it with patience. Finally it’s paid off.
He progressed nicely through the week at practice leading into Sunday’s game in Regina and, after Tuesday’s action at McMahon Stadium, he appears to be getting closer to a return.
Harrison could potentially be on the field Friday against the visiting Edmonton Eskimos, his first start since he went down in Hamilton in Week Six.
In total, he’s sat out six games which has been more than enough time to sit back and evaluate the recent work of his trenchmen and their ability to adjust on the fly.
“We’ve done an amazing job of not having to rebuild,” he said.
“Every time someone has gone down, someone has stepped up and played well. Even when Na’Shan (Goddard) got hurt and Steve (Myddelton) got hurt and I went down ... J’Mike (J’Micheal Deane) has come in, Spencer Wilson has come in, Stanley (Bryant) has come in. Everyone has just done an amazing (job).
“I couldn’t be more proud of the group of men in that room. It’s just a really good group.”
Stover set to take over from Bolden
Michael Stover could also be getting into game action Friday, which would be his first with the Calgary Stampeders.
On Tuesday, the defensive lineman continued to take reps in place of Demonte’ Bolden who hurt his foot in Sunday’s loss to Saskatchewan and is likely unavailable against the Eskimos.
And, truth be told, it was a completely different scene for the 23-yearold compared to where he was a few weeks ago.
After being one of the last cuts from Stampeder training camp, Stover returned home to Lancaster, Penn., and spent the summer working at a gym and helping coach the defensive line at his old high school team.
“We are 4-0 this year, which is pretty good because we weren’t that good when I was there,” Stover said, chuckling. “Back home, I had to stay busy especially when you could get a call at any time to come back up.
“I appreciated my head coach gave me that opportunity, that’s a big thing for me. But when he asked me, I told him, ‘Look, if I get a call ...’ ”
And, eventually, it came. Now, he’s a step closer to making his professional debut.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Stover said. “If I do get the opportunity, I’m going to be the most excited guy out there.”
Hufnagel said cutting Stover was a tough decision at the time, especially considering what the youngster brings to the table.
“He worked extremely hard in training camp, knew our systems, and we brought him back,” Hufnagel said. “He’s powerful, has a high motor, never stops, just a play-every-second-of-the-play type of guy.”
Extra points ...
Hufnagel doesn’t expect to see LaMarcus Coker any time soon; the returner/receiver’s hamstring injury is quite serious, even though it doesn’t require surgery ... On Tuesday, the Stampeders added import running back Lyndon Rowells to the practice roster. The Clearwater, Fla., native is fresh off the Carolina Panthers training camp and spent two seasons at Humboldt State in Arcata, Calif., where he was named to the all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference first team both years.