Esks stick with kicking tandem

The Edmonton Eskimos are sticking with the tandem kicking crew they ended last season with.

In line with last month’s announcement of placekicker Sean Whyte’s contract extension, which will keep him in green and gold through the 2020 season, the Eskimos followed up Tuesday by inking punter Hugh O’Neill for the upcoming year.

A University of Alberta product, O’Neill was brought on board partway through 2017 after Whyte raised concerns his leg was being overused after taking on both duties. With Whyte missing 12 games, O’Neill was one of a trio of replacements that were brought in, making a pedestrian nine of 13 field-goal attempts and eight of 10 converts before taking over sole possession of punting duties.

In 13 games, O’Neill’s 3,291 punt yards averaged 45.1 yards per punt, leaving him tied fourth overall. That number improved to 46.6 yards in the playoffs.

With Whyte entering his 10th season in the Canadian Football League, the Eskimos weren’t about to chance another leg injury to the most accurate field goal kicker over the last three seasons (93.3 per cent), deciding instead to go with the proven duo.

SHAQ ATTACK

On Tuesday, the Eskimos also announced the addition of American receiver Shaq Hill.

The five-foot-10, 180-pound native of Stockton, Calif., played for the same Eastern Washington program that produced the likes of current Eskimos defensive captain J.C. Sherritt, as well as former Eskimos quarterback Matt Nichols and defensive lineman Greg Peach.

A first-team all-Big Sky Conference selection, Hill spent part of the National Football League pre-season as an undrafted rookie with the Houston Texans before being picked up briefly by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.