The Road Back

"The road to easy street is usually through the dump!" - John Madden

Come Back Story 

Casey Printers was thought to be finished by most after his time in Hamilton. Many wrote off his ability as a Quarterback,  just saying he didn't have it anymore. As the face of that franchise, he was forced to carry it on his back and with little success, he failed,  and was sent packing. For nearly half the season he sat at home on the couch,  watching and waiting for his chance. When ghe finally got it, he didn't disappoint, going 19 for 31 for 339 yards 2TD and 1int. The 1 interception proved to be costly as it was in overtime. It was a great effort none the less, which makes him a great come back story because not many people expected it from him. In a game with playoff implications he had to be in mid season form. I believe he showed more that enough to earn the starting right as Quarterback in this league. It's amazing how different a player looks within different settings.

What have I learned from Casey's story? That despite all the turmoil, all the negativity, and all of those who doubted him, he has overcome so much. From once being the Most Outstanding Player in the League to not having a job, to resurrecting his career. Players who wear #1 wear it for a reason, because they truly believe they are the BEST at what they do. I am honored to have met him during my rookie season. His story has inspired me to keep pushing in hopes of resuming my career. Thank you Casey!

"Never Give Up!"

The Road Back

"Pain is the price for anything that's worth something"

So where to next? Is a question I often receive when I tell people I was la late cut from the Eskimos. As it doesn't appear I will be playing this season, the next step would be to jump into off-season training. Picking up from where I left off last year, I will be running outdoors, weight training, yoga classes, and indoor soccer for some competitive action. I don't like to lose at anything, so even if its indoor recreational soccer, I don't plan on losing. Despite not knowing if all my training will be put to good work, I will do it again. Investing in myself the time in hopes of resuming my football career. Looking for a real chance to show what I can do, I will keep the faith and stay ready!

The Road Back

"You don't appreciate what you have until it's gone or it's taken from you"

Personally evaluating myself, I had a great off season dropping 8 pounds and decreasing my body fat from 14.2% to 8.8%. Following that up with a great training camp and pre-season, notching 7 tackles and a Forced Fumble. Highlighted by a goaling stop on Martell Mallet, one of the leagues best running backs. Taking the good with the bad there are 2 plays I would like to redo.  Reliving the plays through my head, I believe I could have easily made them with a little more depth at safety. Game speed and practice speed are two different things... A lesson learned! Every DB gets beats once. I'm still having a hard time believing the excuse of why I was released. " We like what we have in terms of Canadian talent."

My status as All-Canadian 3 out of 4 years in university is more than the number 1 draft pick Dylan Barker. Probably the only canadian who had more accolades was Andy Fantuz, with 3 time All-Canadian, one All-Canadian second team, and the Hec Creighton. Not to say I am better than these two by any means, i just find it hard to believe the reason i was released, given the success I've had in university. I am actually huge fans of them. This is just a comparison of the level of play I was at prior to entering the CFL.

 

A FRESH START

Dwelling in the past has gotten me nowhere! It has left me with an empty feeling, no motivation, zero belief. I will not let others tell me I cannot make it for it is only I who can make that decision. What I pray for is another chance, A REAL CHANCE to let me showcase my talents as I have in the past. The opportunity to achieve my ultimate objective, the GREY CUP. Despite my individual successes, I have never tasted the joy of winning a championship, that is what I truly want.

For Better or For Worse

It got worse before it got better.  After my last post in week 9 I talked to my agent expecting good news, it was the complete opposite. All the news he had given me was terrible, after I had managed to build up some motivation to continue training, he left me with no inspiration. A feeling that I wasn't good enough to play this game. A game I have been playing since I was a kid and excelling at. He told me that there just wasn't a need for players right now. Then again every week I check http://cfl.ca/ there is a new player being signed to a team. After some weeks of soul searching and deciding what was best for me, I found it was time to move on. Though he was a great person this is a business decision for my future as a player.

2nd time around (week 9)

"We fail all the time,but there's no shame in falling--only in not getting up and keeping on! - HMAN

Week 9 was by far the lowest week with the season half over, and my fustrations building. It was a poor effort by me all around.  Filled with negative thoughts, my motivation was at an all time low. I'd rather not go into detail as it would just perpetuate those same feelings. Long story short, I was close to hanging up the cleats and quiting training. Some days its tough to keep the motivation when times look the worst. I put my heart into this and this is how it pays off? The easy route would be to pack it in and do other things... But I'm not ready to do other things, reminding myself again of what I did and went through to get here. D D D.  Discipline. Dedication. Determination! Without question I've maintained Discipline to get to the pro ranks. Doing it from a young age Dedication is already there. In a time like this, I need the last D which is DETERMINATION! I must regain that hunger that I once had, I lost it somewhere down the line last year.

2nd time around will be put on pause because there hasn't been a 2nd time around yet.