Stamps bolster offensive arsenal
Former NFLer Carey adds depth to talented backfield, writes Todd Saelhof
Ka’Deem Carey has always been expected to carry the load.
He was a major star in the NCAA with the Arizona Wildcats and looked to be an up-and-comer with the NFL’s Chicago Bears.
Then injury derailed the vaunted running back and eventually brought him to the snow and chill of Alberta early this week after signing on with the Calgary Stampeders.
“Reality check,” said Carey, looking around at the piles of snow lining the field of McMahon Stadium after getting off a flight direct from the Arizona desert.
“It felt like Cool Runnings — how they jumped out of the plane and it was snowing everywhere. Yeah, that was funny. But I love it. It’s beautiful here.
“Playing in this (snow and cold) might be a little different than Chicago. Less wind maybe? And they say it gets sunny here, so it will be little different. But otherwise, like Chicago.”
Like Chicago, he won’t slot in as a top running back just yet. That could take months or years with the Stamps current backfield personnel of Don Jackson, Romar Morris and Terry Williams enjoying success lugging the rock so far this CFL season.
With the Bears, his ascension was slowed by star Matt Forte in front of him.
Over three seasons in Chicago, the fourth-round draft pick played in 37 games, rolling up 443 rushing yards while scoring two touchdowns. He also had 13 catches for 131 yards and another score.
But his shot at NFL stardom, after setting University of Arizona school records with 4,239 rushing yards, 48 rushing touchdowns and 5,483 all-purpose yards, came to an end because of a wrist injury and subsequent surgery last August.
He called it bad timing. “Mentally, I was just trying to be strong in the head the last year because of the injury,” Carey said. “I was rehabbing and rehabbing and just trying to be comeback player of the year. I guess that’s going to have to be here.”
But right now, the 25-year-old knows there’s minimal room to showcase his stellar skills.
“They’ve got good running backs here. I like the way they run their routes, they’re in and out of cuts,” said Carey, who’s currently on the practice squad. “I feel I’ve got opportunity here, but I’ve got to work extremely hard because the backs in front of me can hold their own. “We’ll see what happens.” Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson feels Carey’s game fits right in with the team’s game plan.
“We’ve looked at him for a couple of years. We’re looking for that jump he’s got,” said Dickenson of the 5-foot-10, 215-pound Arizona native. “He’s a little thicker than our guys. We like guys who can do multiple things, meaning good pass receivers out of the backfield and guys who can make jump-cuts and pick up protection.
“He’s got a ways to go, because we like our backs. But ultimately, it’s always good to have new guys in there and see what they can do.”
His end game, Carey admits, is to get back to four-down football for a second chance at the NFL.
“Yeah, definitely. I want to come out here and showcase my talent. I believe I’ve got a lot of talent. I’ve just got to go out there and show the right people. I’m just thankful the team here gave me this opportunity.”
MATTHEWS LOOKING GOOD
Chris Matthews is coming along fine, thank you very much.
With his 6-foot-5 frame, the 2012 CFL rookie of the year and NFL playoff star who signed with the Stamps earlier this week certainly stands out among fellow receivers and defenders trying to keep him from catching the ball during practice sessions.
“You look at him and you can tell he’s got the skill-set,” said Stamps receivers coach Pete Costanza. “Real big man — he’s the biggest guy in the group. Pretty sharp picking things up already, so we’ll integrate him a little more … and see what happens going forward.”
Whether the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers pass catcher dresses for Monday’s match in Montreal (11 a.m., TSN/770 CHQR) is still to be determined, but it’s looking good that he’ll get in, along with fellow Red & White pass-catcher Eric Rogers,
to bolster the team’s decimated receiving corps.
“The learning curve is shorter, mainly because he has played in the CFL,” Costanza said. “We just have to teach him our language. At the end of the day, you’ve got a guy with his pedigree that’s coming in here. Now we’ve just got to get him ready to play football.”
It doesn’t hurt to be sitting next to QB Bo Levi Mitchell in the Stamps dressing room.
“We want to get him up to speed so he can play as soon as possible,” Dickenson said of Matthews.
“Whether or not that will be this week, I don’t know — that’s going to be tough. We want to make sure he can be available, so we’re going to work as hard as we can. If we can get him on the field, we’re going to do that. But he’s trending in the right direction, so it would be nice to see him out there on Monday.”
I feel I’ve got opportunity here, but I’ve got to work extremely hard because the backs in front of me can hold their own.
IN & OUT
CB Ciante Evans (knee), CB Tre Roberson (thigh) and OL
Ucambre Williams (knee) look like sure bets for Monday’s game.
"(They) practised full again (Friday), so we’re getting some of our guys back,” Dickenson said. “We’ve still got another day of work, so I’m never going to say definitely, one way or another. But those guys are trending up. It’s nice to see some of those reinforcement coming back into the fold.”