‘No friends on the field’ when Redblacks meet Argos
Aston Whiteside says Trevor Harris is “a great guy,” someone he talked with on and off the field when they were both Toronto Argonauts.
Whiteside now plays defensive end for the Ottawa Redblacks, though, and Harris won’t be wearing a protective, “don’t touch the quarterback” red jersey when the Canadian Football League clubs meet at Rogers Centre in Toronto Sunday.
“In between the whistles in that game, when those clocks start ticking, no friends on the field,” Whiteside said Friday, “so we’re going to get after him.”
Harris has been everything the Argos hoped he could be and more as the long-term replacement for injured No. 1 QB Ricky Ray. He ranks among CFL leaders in completion percentage (75.0), passing yards (1,987) and touchdown passes (16) while throwing only four interceptions, and has led the Argos to five victories in seven games and a share of first place in the East Division with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
However, Harris is also tied for second among CFL quarterbacks in times sacked (18), while the Redblacks’ defence ranks third with 20 sacks total.
Whiteside has spurred efforts in that regard, collecting five sacks in three games since he was signed in July.
He was with the Argos in 2014 and again at their 2015 training camp, but was released before the regular season began in late June.
“No sting at all,” Whiteside said following Redblacks practice at TD Place stadium.
“It was just another team, just another day. I was with them in the past, but I’m with Ottawa now, and I love it.”
Offensive tackle Sir Vincent Rogers was also a teammate of Whiteside’s in Toronto, but Rogers left the Argos by choice to sign with the Redblacks as a free agent in February.
Head coach Rick Campbell said it would be natural for them to look forward to playing against their former club, but didn’t expect them to get too wound up about it.
“I think you just want to go and play good football,” Campbell said. "You don’t want to get too emotional one way or the other. You want to focus on the task at hand.
“Those guys strike me as guys who want to go back and show well in Toronto, but they’re pretty mature guys who won’t get bent out of shape one way or the other.”
Someone admittedly keyed up by the prospect of playing on Sunday is linebacker Travis Brown, who last suited up for the Redblacks in their June 25 season opener in Montreal. He hyperextended a shoulder that night and subsequently served a six-game sentence on the injured list.
“It did feel like jail time, but, at the same time, it was good because I got to learn from a different point of view,” said the 25-yearold Californian who, in the Redblacks’ first CFL season, ranked fifth on the team with 56 tackles. "I actually got to coach a little bit on the sidelines and help the guys see what I was seeing from a different angle.
“I look at it as a blessing: I got myself stronger and hopefully ready to play.”
Defensive lineman Justin Phillips and new punter Andy Wilder will also play Sunday, but Campbell ruled out defensive halfback Abdul Kanneh, who left last weekend’s loss in Calgary early because of left foot/ankle injury.
The 46-man active roster for the game must be finalized Saturday. Adding Brown from the six-game injured list, Phillips from the onegame injured list and Wilder from the practice roster means others must be made inactive.
Meanwhile, defensive tackle Jonathan Williams — another former Argo claimed by the Redblacks in the December 2013 expansion draft — has had or will soon have surgery for what is presumed to be a groin problem that has lingered since late last season.
Williams has dressed for just one game this season, July 9 in Edmonton, and played only briefly. He was put on the six-game injured list soon after that.
The Montreal Alouettes’ victory against the B.C. Lions on Thursday night improved their record to 3-5 and brought them close to the Redblacks (4-3) in the East standings. The Ticats have looked great in recent games, while the Argos are getting healthier, with the exception of Ray.
“We’ll have our hands full, but, when we show up and play good football, and we’re enthusiastic and know our assignments, then we’re a tough team,” Campbell said, “and that’s what we plan on doing.”