Burris has to put bad blood on backburner
Redblacks quarterback won’t be fuelled by Austin snub or hit by Ticats’ Lawrence
OTTAWA— Henry Burris hasn’t had a change of heart.
Three weeks ago, Burris called out Hamilton linebacker Simoni Lawrence for a “dirty’ hit near the veteran Ottawa quarterback’s left knee. The Redblacks and Tiger-Cats meet Sunday in the East Division final but Burris remained steadfast when speaking to reporters Saturday.
“I know he didn’t wish ill will on me but the hit was dirty and it will always be dirty,” Burris said. “There’s nothing that people can say or do to overcome that.
“When a guy is in a defenceless position and you go for a knee like that . . . the writing is on the wall as far as what you’re trying to do.”
Lawrence delivered a low hit on Burris in the first quarter of Ottawa’s 12-6 road win over Hamilton on Nov. 1. Burris was wearing a knee brace after sustaining an injury earlier and the contact came after the 16-year CFL veteran released the ball.
“The hit was what it was, we knew exactly what he was trying to do,” Burris said. “If you can take out the quarterback of the team you’re playing against, hey, it’s better for them.”
Lawrence engaged in a war of words with Burris following the incident but wasn’t biting Saturday.
“I just play football at a very high level,” Lawrence said. “I feel sorry for whatever happened to him.
“If he’s running out of the pocket and that’s the only way I can make a tackle that’s the way I’m going to make it because that’s the way I play football. I’m not worried about what that man says.”
On Sunday, Ottawa and Hamilton meet for the third time in four weeks. The Redblacks took the first two games — including a 44-28 home win Nov. 7, en route to posting a 12-6 record to finish atop the East Division.
Burris has been a huge reason for Ottawa’s success. He recorded a record 481 completions and was the CFL’s passing leader with 5,703 yards to secure the East Division nomination for the league’s outstanding player award.
Heady stuff considering last year Burris had more interceptions (14) than TDs (11) as the Redblacks had just two wins in their inaugural 2014 campaign. Now, Ottawa is a win away from its first Grey Cup appearance since 1981.
“Everything we went through last year, all the naysayers towards Henry Burris they can’t say anything after this,” Burris said.
“For me to have a chance to be a part of building a team from the ground up would be truly special because it’s something that not many people in their career ever have the chance to accomplish.”
Burris spent two productive seasons in Hamilton, leading the club to a Grey Cup appearance in 2013. But head coach/GM Kent Austin released Burris to sign free-agent Zach Collaros, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in September.
Burris admitted he had an axe to grind with his former team prior to this month’s home-and-home series but says redemption won’t fuel him Sunday.
“That driving force to play against Hamilton, it’s still there,” he said.
“I don’t really need to look at Kent, I don’t really need to say anything to those guys about the fact I am not there anymore because I can see it on the faces of those guys.
“But now it’s all about us going out and doing what it takes to win.”