Former Gee-Gees star kicking it up a notch
Hometown favourite Ward competing for starting job with the Redblacks
Lewis Ward has watched the fans more than the Redblacks games at TD Place.
It was his job.
“I’ve been around here a few years now, getting around the stadium,” said Ward, who is vying to become Ottawa’s new kicker. “I wouldn’t say I was here watching (the games), but I was here working them.
“I worked security on the field. It was interesting. I was very much as close as I could get to being on the field. It was a good experience, to get the atmosphere.”
Ward, who has also spent the past five seasons establishing himself as one of the best kickers in the country and the leading scorer in Ottawa Gee- Gees history, is now competing for a job with Americans Richie Leone and Sergio Castillo.
It’s unrealistic that the team keep two imports to kick, but it could assign one to handle both kicking and punting, while asking Ward to take a practice roster spot.
It could also have Ward do the kicking, while leaving the punting to one of the others.
Ward, who stands 5-foot-7, already has a leg up on the competition. In last week’s pre-season game against Montreal, he was a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts, his longest from a 44 yards out.
Leone handled the punting, averaging 48 yards on six punts.
All three will dress in Thursday ’s final exhibition tune up.
“Being from the hometown, obviously there’s a lot that comes with that,” said Ward. “... I have to be the best that I can be to win the job here and help us win football games.”
Meanwhile, Ward kicked six field goals for the Gee- Gees in a double overtime win last year at Guelph, the site of Thursday’s pre-season game.
“I’ve played there a couple of times,” he said with a shrug. “It’s just another field to play on.”